


All That Follows

by SouthForWinter



Series: Finding Family [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-12 23:04:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 73,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1203817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthForWinter/pseuds/SouthForWinter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story picks up where season 1 left off and goes in a completely different direction than the show. </p>
<p>The curse is broken and everyone is trying to find a way back home. Everyone but Regina, that is. Everything changes, however, when Storybrooke is threatened and all of them must work together to protect it and themselves. Regina finds herself the unlikely protector of an odd little group and eventually, the entire town looks to her to save them all.</p>
<p>Though the story mainly revolves around Regina, it includes just about every character you met in season 1 and one or two fresh faces.</p>
<p>Lots of adventures that lead through Storybrooke, the outside world, FTL, Wonderland and a few we've yet to see.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is already on other sites, but if you haven't read it yet, you won't be waiting long; I'll be posting a chapter a day. 
> 
> I know OCs aren't too popular, but there's a ton of main character interaction, and I had a lot of fun creating this whole other universe, so I hope you'll give it a shot and at least read the first few chapters.

Annie distractedly pulled her medium length, light brown hair into a high ponytail as she waited for the woman behind the counter to make the coffees. She had interned for Mayor Mills since she was sixteen and had been hired as her assistant fresh out of high school. She’d now held the position for three years. Young and eager to work in such a privileged position, she lived willingly with the burden of serving such an intimidating and sometimes all-out terrifying boss. Regina was a demanding employer, and although many feared her – and how could they be blamed? Annie herself was among them – she’d always seen the mayor as a role model. She hadn’t had much of one growing up as she’d been raised by Lisa, a woman whose sanity was in question. She had taken her in as a small child after her parents had died, and Lisa was controlling and paranoid, never allowing the girl to do anything. In the mayor, Annie saw a woman who knew what she wanted and was not afraid to go after it; granted, sometimes her methods colored outside the lines. She was grateful not to have anything to do with that portion of the mayor’s activities. That was what Sidney Glass was for.

On that particular afternoon, like every other afternoon, Annie had stopped by the coffee shop after lunch on her way back to the office; one coffee for her and one for the mayor. Today, however, there would most likely be no mayor in the office waiting for coffee because, unlike every other afternoon, Regina’s son Henry was in the hospital in a deep coma.

Arriving back at the office, she set the coffees on her desk and started in on the last pile of paperwork that needed to be filed. There wasn’t much work to be done in Regina’s absence, so when she finished only fifteen minutes later, she stared at the coffee, deep in thought. She could stop by the hospital to offer moral support and see Henry. She had grown quite attached to the boy, having known him for half his life. He always came in with a smile and they’d chat while he waited for his mom to finish a phone call or meeting. A few weeks ago, his face had suddenly grown quite serious for such a young child, and he’d leaned in close:

_“We’re friends, right Annie?”_

_“Of course, Henry.”_

_“If I tell you a really big secret, will you promise not to tell my mom?”_

_“Cross my heart.”_

_“It’s something I’ve named Operation Cobra…”_

Since that day, Henry had been regaling her with tales from his book, ideas he had about Storybrooke and its residents.

Grabbing the coffee, Annie stood up, heading outside, her decision made. She needed to see Henry and keep Regina company. It was as her car door slammed shut that the wave hit her and she had to grab the steering wheel to steady herself as everything came crashing back. Memories of another life: a tower, long golden hair, a witch, joyous escape, and the Evil Queen.

* * *

Emma and Henry held each other tightly as the purple storm clouds filled the space around them and everyone cried out and crouched low to the ground. Wind whipped at their hair and tossed paperwork around the room.

Panicking, Emma tried desperately to inhale but the clouds were so thick, she may as well have been underwater. Her skin felt as if it were being pricked by thousands of needles. She tried to cry out in pain, but without air there was no sound. Just as she felt herself on the edge of consciousness, oxygen slowly returned. As the last of the purple clouds receded, they seemed to brush her skin, causing a slight tingle.

Everyone looked around at each other, grateful the terrifying experience was over.

Emma wasn’t enjoying the silence. “If that’s what magic feels like, I can already tell you, I’m not a fan.” People looked at her curiously but Henry smiled, which was enough to make her feel slightly better, and she jumped into action. “Alright, kid, let’s get you some real clothes. Then we’re gonna figure out what’s next.”

* * *

Rapunzel sat in the tower slowly brushing out every section of her endlessly long hair. She hated her hair. It was as much a punishment as being locked up; the ball and chain keeping her from moving around too much. The brush was set aside when she heard the witch’s call and she slowly lowered her hair.

“No news of note today, my dear,” Elise reported, reaching the top. She was not an ugly woman. Quite the opposite: she had graceful features, a tall, thin figure, and glossy-smooth red hair. Today it was twisted elegantly onto her head and she wore a regal, emerald green gown. “Snow White still eludes the Queen, but I’ve no doubt she will soon be found.” She waved her arms and, as it did every afternoon, a tea tray appeared.

“I don’t believe Snow deserves the punishment awaiting her,” Rapunzel responded, picking at her dress, a pale blue that made her dark eyes shine.

“Of course she does! She committed treason and murder! Regina’s right to place a price on her head.” In the silence, Elise glanced at the full plate of food sitting in the corner. “You haven’t touched your meal.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You must eat. You’re looking positively frail.”

“Perhaps it’s a lack of exercise. If you would let me out-“

“Absolutely not! There’s a reason I built this tower with no staircase and no door. You’re never to leave this room!”

“Why? Why must I stay in this prison?”

Elise set her teacup on the saucer with enough force for it to clatter. “We have this discussion every day and I grow weary of it. I’ve told you before, my dear. It’s for your protection. The world out there is not a safe place, especially with people like Snow running about. It’s my job to protect you.”

“It was my parents’ job to protect me.”

“They died.” The words were harsh. “Your mother in giving birth to you, and your father from the grief of it. I cared for you in their place.”

Rapunzel kept quiet on this. She hadn’t told Elise she knew these were lies. Sometimes, at night, she dreamt of her parents. In daylight, she knew these dreams to be memories. They were from when she was very young, but they had become more and more vivid over the years. She suspected her parents’ death had not been natural at all and feared the truth was much more sinister.

“Well, my dear, I must take my leave; Regina and I are meeting tonight. Things are especially tense now that she and Maleficent have stopped speaking. I never met the woman myself, but she sounds like more trouble than she’s worth.” Elise began clearing everything away as she spoke. “The queen and I talked about you the other night. I only mentioned your ability hoping to cheer her up, but she has taken immense interest in the subject now. I’m sure she will ask about you again this evening. I don’t wish to tell her of your refusal to eat. You really must stop this nonsense; you only punish yourself.”

“Why is the queen so interested in my ability? Surely she has enough power of her own to keep her occupied.”

“Yes, well, this glowing golden hair is quite different from most magic, and it’s so distinguishing. You can see why I keep you here; there is no way to disguise you. It glows more brightly with each passing year and if the wrong person found out about it, you’d be killed for its power.” She studied Rapunzel for a moment. “You truly have an unmatched beauty.” Elise put her hand on the side of the girl’s head, pushing back the hair to reveal a small, crescent shaped scar. “Flawless, save this one imperfection. Well,” she dropped her hand back to her side. “I’ll be back tomorrow, my dear. Eat.”

After Elise had gone, Rapunzel was not alone long before her thoughts were interrupted by a child’s voice.

“Hello? Hello? Is there anyone up there?”

Rapunzel leaned her head out and looked down. Sure enough, there, at the base of the tower, was a young boy, staring up at her with innocent curiosity.

“So there is someone up there! I was right! The other children said I was mad. How do I get up there? There’s no door.”

The boy stared in wonder as Rapunzel lowered her hair to the ground. “Climb,” she instructed him.

When he reached the top, he pulled himself up and stood in front of her.

“I’m Rapunzel,” she told him, holding out her hand.

“Baelfire.”


	2. Chapter 2

Many people had gathered in the hospital lobby, greeting each other warmly and speaking animatedly. They’d all followed Snow and Charming, who had come to see Emma and Henry.

Emma and her parents hugged awkwardly, alternating between avoiding eye contact and staring at each other. Snow whispered, “We’ll talk later,” to which Emma nodded. It wasn’t something she was exactly looking forward to. How are you supposed to act when you find out that your best friend – a woman the same age as you – is, indeed, also your mother? With David, it was even more uncomfortable. She tried to remember that he was actually Prince Charming – the man who was married to Snow White – but she had a hard time reconciling that with the man who had cheated on his wife. She imagined that true love, like the love her parents shared, had driven him to Mary Margaret, even though he had no memory of their past life. Emma just couldn’t see past this world or imagine something so powerful that you were unable or unwilling to fight it. Even more recently, he had failed to stand by Mary Margaret in a time when she needed him most. Mary Margaret had obviously forgiven him but Emma still felt the sting. She’d had a family for less than an hour, and she knew that it was going to take much longer to adjust. The idea was foreign, although it was something she’d wanted all her life. Emma’s head spun as she finally processed the information she’d distanced herself from all day: she was in a place where magic was real, everyone was a character out of a storybook, she had parents that were the same age as her, her son had been raised by the Evil Queen, and for the icing on top of the crazy-cake, she’d spent the afternoon fighting a dragon!

She was grateful to be pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Henry tugging at her sleeve.

“Isn’t this cool?!” he grinned and looked around at his family. “Now we can find out who everyone really is! My book only had some of their stories. We have to talk to everyone!”

Emma chuckled. “Slow down, kid, we should give them all some time to adjust.”

He nodded, nearly bouncing up and down. “We still have to figure out why no one went back to their world. I think that you only broke part of the curse. Something is keeping everyone stuck here. Besides,” he looked around. “Everyone is still human.”

“What do you mean?” Emma asked. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

“He’s right,” David said, frowning. He looked at Emma. “Not everyone started out as a human. Jiminy is a cricket, and then, there are all of the fairies.”

“Do you remember Mother Superior talking to us right after you broke the curse?” Henry asked her.

“Yeah. Why?”

“She’s the Blue Fairy. She’s the one who came up with the plan to send you to this world so that you could save everyone by breaking the curse.”

“So you think that the curse didn’t break all the way. But what’s stopping it?” Emma thought aloud. She wondered if all of this had anything to do with what Regina had said about magic being unpredictable. Beyond that, she had no idea where to begin, and she found the idea of trying to solve it overwhelming.

It seemed that she was not the only one thinking about all of these things. Conversations had grown heated, and some people had begun yelling.

“This has to be the queen’s fault,” Grumpy shouted, catching everyone’s attention. “Now that her precious curse has failed, she’s brought magic to Storybrooke.”

“How’d she do it?” Jiminy asked.

 “More importantly, what do we do about it?” a young woman asked angrily.

“The curse is broken, but she somehow figured out a way to keep us all trapped here!” Emma recognized the man as someone she’d seen working at Henry’s school, but she didn’t know his name. “We won’t be able to go home until we deal with her.”

Snow raised her voice. “We must all keep level heads if we’re to deal with the queen.” Some people nodded in agreement but it looked like most were already too riled up to listen to reason.

They started tossing around ideas on how to go about punishing Regina and theories on how to get home, but Emma barely noticed.  She was too busy with her own thoughts; something was off. Regina had said herself that magic here was unpredictable. Why, then, would she risk bringing it in full force? She also found Gold’s absence extremely unsettling. She would have to bring this all up with Mary Margaret and David later. She knew enough not to mention it in the midst of an angry crowd.

She felt Henry squeeze her hand and looked down to see him wearing a worried expression. “People are really angry. I know the queen is bad and she can’t get away with what she did to everyone, but this is supposed to be like a fairy-tale. You teach the bad guy a lesson and maybe send them away forever, but you don’t hurt them.”

Emma glanced at Mary Margaret, the two of them thinking the same thing. Snow knew from experience that this was not true, and Emma knew that true fairy-tales were not always wrapped up so neatly.

Although neither of them said anything, Henry read their expressions. “You don’t think they’d kill her, do you?”

“Henry, I’m sure she’ll be okay. I don’t think she’d let anybody near her. She’s probably hiding out right now.”

Snow put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “Trust me, Henry, she can take care of herself. You don’t have to worry.”

He nodded but Emma could see he was still upset. She was distracted, however, when she saw Marco pushing his way through the crowd.

“Sheriff Swan?” he stopped in front of them and Emma could see sorrow and hope warring in his expression, “Do you know where my boy is? My Pinocchio?”

Her heart jolted. August! With everything that had happened, she’d completely forgotten. She was filled immediately with dread. If the others hadn’t returned to their fairytale forms, there was a good chance August was still laying lifeless in his hotel room. She’d realized the truth of the curse too late to save him.

* * *

 Annie stood in the rain, halfway up the path to the large white house. As if the sudden flood of memories and resulting migraine from remembering two lives hadn’t been enough, there had been the storm; the large, purple, magical storm that had engulfed Storybrooke. That had not been a pleasant experience. As quickly as it had rolled in, however, it was over, leaving a normal storm in its place.

So, here she stood in the pouring rain, not sure why she’d come. She didn’t know how, but she knew that the mayor – no, Queen – was here. Standing in the middle of the walkway, staring up at the house, being battered by rain so forcefully she could barely keep her eyes open, she wondered what she was doing.

She was frozen by fear. She’d come this far by habit, seeking the mayor out when something unusual happened, needing her help to fix the situation. But this was not the mayor’s house; it belonged to Regina, the Evil Queen. Five years she had worked with her, unknowing. If Henry was right – and judging by the day’s events, he was – it had actually been twenty-eight years. What would the rest of the town think, her running to the Queen after the curse had been broken? Thinking of the people in town, however, she realized that the only person she knew better than the Queen was Lisa – Elise – and she certainly wasn’t going to her. She had nowhere else to go. That’s what finally moved her feet forward.

Raising her hand to ring the doorbell, she nearly screamed when the door was suddenly flung open, revealing the Evil Queen herself.

“I was wondering how long you were going to stand in the rain,” she said flatly. Her face was emotionless as she asked, “What are you doing here, Rapunzel?”

* * *

 “Baelfire?” Rapunzel repeated as the boy took a seat across from her.

“Yes, but you can call me Bae.”

“You said you knew I was up here. How? My existence is supposed to be a secret.”

“Everyone has heard the rumors about the girl with the magical hair that lives in the tower, though very few believe it. Those that do are too afraid of the witch to see for themselves. Not me. My father would never let anything happen to me.” The last part came out rather bitterly.

“Your father?”

“Yes, Rumpelstiltskin. You’ve never heard of him?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“That’s a good thing. He’s not the nicest person. Some people call him the Dark One. He does favors for people, but for a price, and it always ends badly.”

“What kinds of favors does he do?”

“All sorts of things. He has magic, so there’s not very much he _can’t_ do.”

“Could he get me out of this tower?”

“NO!” Bae yelled immediately, causing Rapunzel to jump. “I’m sorry. I just mean that I don’t want you to ask him. It’s not that I don’t want you to be free,” he clarified quickly, seeing her about to object. “It’s just that I like you. He’s dangerous, and I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”

“I understand.” She hid her disappointment, not wanting to upset the boy.

“I should probably get back before my father starts looking for me. Can I come back tomorrow?”

“Yes, but come after dinner. The witch will be gone then.”

“Okay.”

Rapunzel lowered her hair and Bae walked to the opening. At the last second he turned around, grinning.

“I’m very glad to have met you, Rapunzel.”

Rapunzel smiled back and had a hard time not reaching out to ruffle his hair. He probably felt too grown up for a gesture like that. Instead, she simply said, “You, too, Bae. See you tomorrow.”

And then he was gone. Despite the fact that she was still stuck in the tower, she found herself in better spirits because of her new acquaintance and the promise of another visit. For the first time in quite a while, Rapunzel felt that she actually had an appetite.

* * *

 “Well, well. You actually ate something.” This went by way of a greeting when Elise returned from dinner. “I’m glad I finally got through to you.”

Rapunzel kept her mouth shut. Elise could never find out that she’d had a visitor.

After a few moments of silence, Elise sighed. “Well, if you’re not going to ask about my evening, that just takes all the fun out of it. I’ll tell you anyway because I’m just bursting, but really, you should learn to take an interest. I am, after all, the only person you have any contact with.” She waited for some reaction from Rapunzel. Getting none, she continued. “The evening was very productive. The queen and I made a deal. In exchange for a lock of your hair, I will get the curse I need to finally silence my dear sister.”

At this Rapunzel sat up straighter. “But my hair is powerless after it has been cut off. You know that. It will do nothing for the queen.”

“Yes, dear. You know this and I know this, but the queen does not.”

“She’ll be able to tell immediately that it’s useless. It’s obvious after it’s been separated from me.”

Elise shook her head. “My dear, what would be the point of having magic if one were never to use it? I will make the hair _appear_ to have its power.”

“She’s sure to find out eventually. Don’t you think it’s unwise to trick her?”

“No, no, my foolish child. With the curse the queen has offered me, I can take my sister’s voice, and her ability to command her people along with it. With the control in my hands, I will finally take my place as Queen of Wonderland. Regina will not realize until it’s too late”

“What happens to me when you go to Wonderland?”

“You will come with me, of course. Your gift only adds to my power. You will be cherished in Wonderland. It is a world of beauty and magic,” she closed her eyes, visualizing it in her head. “Oh, how I miss it! I have not been allowed to return for many years, but I’m sure that not much has changed.” She looked at Rapunzel. “We’ll have to find a room in the palace for you; it won’t be safe to roam the lands. I’ll make sure you have the perfect view so that you can see all the wonder of my world.”

“Will I never be free?”

“We must be especially careful in Wonderland; there are many dangers there. Even as Queen, I wouldn’t be able to protect you if you were running around freely. You make being kept here sound so uncivilized, but you have many things to be thankful for; I protect you, clothe you, feed you, and you have my company. When you live in the palace, you will have so many new things to look at. You cannot imagine the views from the palace! They’ll take your breath away. More importantly, you’ll be out of reach of everyone who would wish to harm you. It will be even safer than it is here once we have you all settled in.” She stood and prepared to leave. “I will take the hair to the queen tomorrow and then go straight to Wonderland. Once I have established my rightful place there, I will return for you.”

When Rapunzel went to sleep shortly thereafter, Bae’s visit and their conversation had been completely forgotten. They were replaced by terrifying visions of a place called Wonderland.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma stood in the corner of the room watching the scene before her. Marco was standing over August, who was still entirely made of wood, shaking his son by the shoulders. Archie was standing nearby; Mary Margaret had suggested he come along.

“Wake up, my boy. The curse is broken. Pinocchio, wake up.” Tears slid down his face and Archie put a hand on his shoulder.  “Pinocchio,” Marco cried. “My boy, please wake up.”

“Come on, Geppetto,” Archie coaxed him away from the bed.

Guilt curled inside Emma, making her feel sick. This was her fault. August had tried to tell her about the curse, how she had to break it, but she hadn’t listened. He’d paid the price for her stubbornness.

Mary Margaret approached Marco and he looked up, “Snow”, he looked at her, guilt mixing with grief. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t let my boy stay in our world with the curse coming. I’m the reason you couldn’t go through with your daughter.” He looked back at August. “And it was all for nothing. Will you ever forgive me?”

Mary Margaret shook her head. “Geppetto, you don’t need my forgiveness. Your son was very brave. He came back, he helped Emma. The curse is broken. It all worked out. We’ll find a way to fix this and then Pinnochio will be back to himself. You should speak to the Blue Fairy. Perhaps she can do something to help.”

They started for the door, but as they passed Emma, she spoke up. “Marco, I’m sorry. If I’d believed sooner—”

He placed his hands on her shoulders gently. “Please know that none of this is your fault, it is all my doing. Promise me that you won’t blame yourself any longer.”

After a moment of hesitation, Emma quietly nodded.

“Let’s go find the Blue Fairy,” Archie said, putting an arm around his best friend. Everyone followed them out.

With Marco in Archie’s care, the others went back to the apartment. The car ride was silent.

When Snow opened the door, she set down her key and looked around, smiling slightly. She grabbed Charming’s hand and pulled him close, leaning into his arms. “It’s so good to remember. This may not be our world, but I have you back and that’s all that matters.”

He kissed her lightly. Emma and Henry stepped around them, heading for the couch. Emma was feeling very uncomfortable, but Henry smiled. “This is how things are supposed to be.”

Snow and Charming looked up, remembering they were not alone, and joined them in the living room. For the moment, Snow felt peaceful, despite the chaos of the day. She had her family back. Looking at Emma though, she could tell that something was on her daughter’s mind. Their recent visit with Geppetto had been upsetting but Snow sensed there was something else bothering her. “Emma?”

Her daughter looked up.

“Was there something on your mind?”

A troubled expression crossed Emma’s face. “Yeah.” She paused. “It’s the magic. I don’t think it was Regina who brought it here.”

Snow, Charming and Henry all looked at her incredulously.

“Of course it was her,” Charming argued as he reached for Snow’s hand and grasped it tightly. “She wants to do everything she can to keep us from being happy. Now that the curse has been broken, this is the next logical step.”

“I don’t think so,” Emma said.

Snow leaned forward. “Why do you think it wasn’t her?”

“Something she said to me in the hospital when Henry was in a coma.” She swallowed hard. She’d been thinking the words, _when Henry was dying_. “She said that magic was unpredictable here. What she put in that turnover was meant to put me to sleep, but with Henry…” everyone finished the thought silently. “She talked about it like it was something she feared. It’s uncontrollable here and she didn’t like that.”

Snow was caught up on a different thought. “Regina told you about magic _before_ the curse was broken? She admitted to being the Evil Queen?”

“Yes.”

Everyone looked shocked, but it was Henry who asked the question they were all thinking. “Why?”

“Because your life was in danger, Henry. We could only save you if she told the truth. What she said to you right after the curse had been broken…” she paused to look down at her hands. The next words were extremely difficult for her to say. “Henry, she really does love you and she would do anything to protect you.”

Henry looked at the floor, embarrassed by the sudden emotion he felt for Regina. As much as he’d hated to admit it, he did love her. Even though he knew she was the Evil Queen, she had raised him. There had been a time as a small child when he’d expressed that love freely, before he’d started feeling resentful of his mother’s controlling tendencies. He’d become more and more convinced that she did not feel any love toward him. In the months since Emma had come to town, he’d buried his love completely. He’d refused to show any affection for the woman who’d stolen everyone’s happy endings by trapping them in this world. He’d looked into her eyes in the hospital when she told him that she loved him, but hadn’t let himself believe her.

Snow and Charming were still shocked. Snow looked at Henry, who was tightly twisting his fingers together, and then back to Emma. “I think it’s time you told us what happened between the time Henry ate that turnover and you broke the curse.”

And so, Emma told them everything. About how she and Regina had worked together, how she had fought the dragon (which brought Henry back into the conversation, as he leaned forward excitedly to hear the details), and about Mr. Gold’s sudden appearance and how he had tricked her.

Charming was still troubled with one thought. “Emma, if you’re so sure that it wasn’t Regina who brought the magic, then who do you think it was?”

“Gold,” Emma said. “And I think it had something to do with what he took from Regina and I. He called it his back-up plan.”

“But how could he use true love to bring magic back?” Charming’s brow was furrowed. “There was only a small amount; how did he manage to convert it into magic that flooded the entire town?”

“I don’t know.” Snow watched her husband pace the room. “Emma, if that’s true, then we’re in more trouble than I thought. Rumpelstiltskin is dangerous.”

“More dangerous than Regina?”

“Yes,” she answered immediately. “Pain and a need for revenge is what made Regina evil. Rumpelstiltskin is evil for no other reason than that it is his nature. He’s the Dark One, made that way by another curse. That makes him far more dangerous. He’ll have something awful in mind.”

“In that case,” Emma said urgently, “we need to do something about it. We’re going to need help.”

Snow glanced at Charming and he frowned. He knew what she was thinking, and he didn’t like it.

“What?” Emma asked, noticing the exchange.

“He’s very powerful. That kind of power is impossible to fight without magic; strong magic. There’s only one person I know who possesses such a thing.”

It was Emma and Henry’s turn to look at each other.

“Regina,” Emma realized.

Snow nodded.

* * *

Belle hurried down the path after Rumpelstiltskin, careful not to trip on any tree roots sticking out of the ground. “What have you done?” she asked.

“I’ve leveled the playing field, my love. I’ve brought magic back into our lives.”

“Yes, but if magic is back, how come we aren’t? Why are we still stuck in this world?”

Rumpelstiltskin, moving quickly, stayed facing forward as he answered. “There are still a few things that need to be taken care of.”

Belle wasn’t sure she liked the answer. “You mean, you did this?”

“Of course, I was the one who designed the details of the curse.”

“But why would you help trap everyone here?”

“I have my reasons.”

* * *

“Rapunzel! Rapunzel, I have something to tell you. Let me up. Hurry, hurry!”

She jumped at the sound of Bae’s voice. How could she have forgotten his visit?

He practically jumped into the room when he reached the top, and proceeded to bounce around excitedly.

“What is it?” Rapunzel asked, pulling out a chair.

“I know I told you I didn’t want to talk to my father about your freedom because I was afraid of what he might ask for in return. But I couldn’t sleep all night long. I was thinking about how you were trapped and you had no way of escaping and how horrible that is.” There was a pause and Rapunzel opened her mouth to say something. However, the pause had been only to take a much-needed breath before Bae rushed on. “-and I knew it wasn’t fair to keep you from your only chance. It’s your life; you should be able to choose what you want to do. So I told my father about you. I didn’t tell him where you are in case you changed your mind, but I told him about you and he wanted to help and he didn’t even ask for anything! So I ran here to tell you, and now my father’s waiting and if you want to be free, I’ll run and tell him. You could be free tonight, Rapunzel!”

During his hurried recounting of events, Rapunzel had stood up excitedly and then sat back down in shock. She sat there, thoughts racing, suddenly overwhelmed by the choice she had never had before. _Life outside the tower…_ She had few memories of it from her childhood. It would be foreign, scary…

“Rapunzel, didn’t you hear me? You could be free! It’s what you wanted!”

_Freedom…Yes, freedom!!!_ She stood back up. What was there to think about?! She could be free!

“Yes! Yes, yes! Run, Bae! Run and tell your father yes!”

She paced the tower the whole time he was gone. She knew Elise had gone to Wonderland to deal with her sister, but she still worried something might change; she could come back and catch Rapunzel trying to escape. What would Elise do to her, to Bae, if that were to happen? The waiting was agonizing, every second another chance to be caught.

Finally, what felt like an eternity later, she heard a voice. It did not belong to Bae, however, so she crept carefully to the edge of the window. There was a man standing there. “Where’s Bae?” she called down to him, hoping this was his father.

“He’s standing watch in the forest. We wouldn’t want to take the chance that the witch would return and catch us in the act now, would we?”

Rapunzel had to keep from stepping back when Rumpelstiltskin climbed through the window. She didn’t want to offend the man that was freeing her, but she felt the need to put as much distance between them as possible. With his discolored skin and impish grin, he was terrifying. She covered her fear with a curtsy and spoke with a voice that was only slightly shaking, “It is nice to meet you Rumpelstiltskin. Your son has told me of you. I am Rapunzel.”

“Yes, dearie,” he said, reaching out to pull her out of her curtsy. “The one who needs saving. So, the tales of the girl in the tower are true.” Though his words were directed at her, his eyes focused only on her hair. He reached out and stroked it. “Are the tales of you hair’s healing properties true as well?”

Rapunzel repressed a shudder. “Yes. You need only wrap it around whatever ails you. Is this what you want in return for my freedom?”

“Oh my, no! Didn’t my Bae tell you? I want nothing in return. You’ve been kind to my boy, a friend to him. That is payment enough.” He moved around the room, glancing at everything. His eyes came to rest again on Rapunzel’s hair. “Now, to get you out of here.”

“How? There is no way down. That window is the only way in or out.”

“You will leave the same way I came up. Your hair.” He laughed, a high-pitched, horrible sound, and it took all Rapunzel had not to grimace.

“What?”

Rumpelstiltskin pulled a pair of shining gold scissors out of his pocket.

Rapunzel’s heart sank. She had been foolish to think anyone could help her escape this tower. “It won’t work. No ordinary scissors can cut through my hair. Elise is the only one with the power to cut strands from it. She has put a spell on it to keep me from escaping.”

“Of course she has dearie, but these are no ordinary scissors,” he replied, smiling at them in his hands. “I designed them myself. They can cut through any material, and more importantly, they can cut through simple little spells.”

“Alright,” she turned slowly and closed her eyes. “Cut it.” She held her breath as he brought his hands up to gather her hair just beneath her shoulders, and placed his scissors around it.

Then, miraculously, the hair fell to the floor as the blades sliced through it. As more and more fell away, Rapunzel felt the weight dropping like nothing she had ever imagined. She was so light, she felt as if she could fly. As the last strands fell around her feet, she looked up, smiling. She ran her fingers across her hair and over the ends. “It’s gone. It’s really gone.”

“Yes, and now we must do something about that glow.” He pulled a bottle out and handed it to her. “Pour this over your hair. It will mask the magic.”

Rapunzel did as she was told. As Rumpelstiltskin tied one end of the hair around a column in the tower, she pulled strands of her hair in front of her face to study it. It was now a light brown. Shiny, but not glowing. Without the weight pulling it down, it had a slight wave. She looked up as Rumpelstiltskin called her name.

“Time to go, dearie.”

They climbed down and, reaching the bottom, Rapunzel took a moment to look back up at the place that had been her prison for as long as she could remember.

“You’ll stay with us for a while, “ Rumpelstiltskin said, heading off into the forest.

Rapunzel followed him, about to disagree, but he seemed to already know what she was going to say. “You have nowhere else to go, dearie. Besides that, Bae won’t hear of you staying anywhere else. You haven’t got a choice.”

He was right of course, and so, she followed him home.

“Where’s Bae?” she asked when they arrived. She’d expected him to meet them at the door.

“Inside sleeping. I told him to run home to bed when he saw us climbing down the tower. It’s past his bedtime after all. You can say hello to him in the morning, when you waken up. He will be very pleased you’re staying with us.”

“Alright. Well, goodnight.” Rapunzel, although not wanting to stay with the strange man, was exhausted from the day’s events. It didn’t take her long to drift off to sleep.

* * *

She sat up suddenly, nightmares of being caught by Elise having woken her. She could see that it wasn’t morning quite yet. There was barely any light outside.

Standing, she grabbed her shawl from the chair next to where she’d been sleeping. As she crept silently to the front door, she couldn’t help but notice the state of things. She hadn’t noticed the night before when it had been completely dark. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. The tiny house looked as if it hadn’t been lived in for quite some time.

Rapunzel found it quite curious, but didn’t stop to think for long. She noiselessly left the cottage, feeling guilty that she hadn’t said goodbye to Bae, but she couldn’t stay there. Rumpelstiltskin seemed dangerous and though he was Bae’s father, she couldn’t trust his intentions.

* * *

She’d been traveling directionless in the woods for hours, growing hungry, thirsty, and extremely tired when she heard it. The galloping hooves of horses, the shouting voices, and they were getting closer.

Drawing on what little strength she had left, Rapunzel ran. As fast as she was going, she couldn’t outrun horses and she heard them following closely behind her. Distracted by fear, her foot caught on a root and she fell forward, scraping her hands as she tried to catch herself.

She heard the horses stop and someone walking toward her as she pushed herself painfully to her knees.

“Careful now, dear. You wouldn’t want to hurt yourself.” The voice was female, low. The words were kind, but still sent shivers down her spine. She turned to see an extravagantly dressed woman approaching her.

“You’re the Queen,” she breathed, shrinking back slightly as the woman reached out and tucked Rapunzel’s hair carefully behind her ear, revealing the crescent scar.

“Yes, dear, and you are exactly the girl I’ve been looking for. Hello, Rapunzel.”


	4. Chapter 4

People of the town did not disperse after Snow White and her family left. They had a lot on their minds and they didn’t feel like the matter was closed yet.

Grumpy once again called for everyone’s attention. He waited for all the talking to die down before speaking. “Snow White is like family, and I would do almost anything for her, but she’s wrong about this. I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers what happened last time we listened to her about the Queen?”

Everyone nodded and the room filled with noise as they all talked to each other about the time Snow had gone to meet the Evil Queen and they’d almost lost her forever.

“We can’t just stand here and let it happen again,” Grumpy continued. “Something has to be done!”

“Snow didn’t say we weren’t going to do anything.” The voice belonged to Red. “She only said that we must think clearly and proceed carefully. We should wait to take action. Everyone should be in on the plan.” A few people throughout the room nodded in agreement.

“We can’t afford to wait.” Everyone turned to see the man they had come to know as Dr. Whale standing there. They all glanced at each other in confusion. Now that the curse had been lifted, they recognized each other, but this man was a stranger. However, they all turned back to listen to him as he continued to speak. “Who knows what the Queen’s planning to do to us? She brought magic back for a reason. We can’t just be sitting ducks.”

Everyone cheered in agreement.

“It’s settled then,” Grumpy said. “Now we just have to figure out what to do.”

A few people, like Granny and Red, shook their heads and left, not wanting to have any part in what was quickly becoming a mob mentality. They were both reminded painfully of the days of the hunting parties back home.

On their way out, Red bumped into Jiminy and Geppetto. She looked at them in surprise. “Where have you guys been?”

“Taking care of a few things,” Jiminy answered. “We came back to see if everyone was still here.”

“They’re here alright,” Granny confirmed. “They’re in there hatching some foolish plan. Snow told them all to wait but tempers are running high and people aren’t in a waiting mood.”

“ _What_? What are they planning to do?”

“We don’t know,” Red answered. “There’s no talking to them, Jiminy. Everyone’s too upset.”

“Well, I have to try.” Jiminy nodded at them as he passed by, Geppetto close behind him.

“Good luck,” Red called to him just before the doors shut.

Jiminy was half-expecting a pitchfork-wielding crowd when he walked in, but he was relieved to see that things hadn’t progressed that far, though they were getting close. “I’m going to try to find out what’s going on,” he told Geppetto. “You see if you can find the Blue Fairy.”

Geppetto nodded and disappeared into the crowd. Jiminy tuned in to what was being said.

“So we’ll go to her house,” Grumpy was saying.

“Do you really feel that’s the best idea?” Jiminy called out. People looked at him in surprise, not having noticed his entrance. “With such a large group, things could get out of hand quite easily.”

“Great,” Dr. Whale said sarcastically. “Now the conscience is here.”

“We’re doing this Jiminy,” Grumpy said. “The only safe way to approach the Queen is in a group. We have to stay together so she can’t overpower us.”

“That could be dangerous for everyone involved,” Jiminy said. “It would be too easy for someone to get hurt. You need the Queen alive if you have any hope of getting back to our world.”

“We don’t plan on killing her,” Grumpy argued. “We’re only going to lock her up.” Everyone yelled their assent. “We’ll meet back here in thirty minutes. Everyone should prepare.” He looked directly at Jiminy. “No more discussion. It’s time for action!”

* * *

Rapunzel sat in a cell in the Queen’s palace rubbing at her sore wrists. She’d been thrown in there, and until recently, had been bound and gagged. It felt like hours had passed before she heard the voices. They were filtering through the door in the hallway outside her cell.

“I should have known you wouldn’t be able to hold on to her.” Unmistakably, the Queen’s voice.

“I thought it would be more fun to watch you scramble after her, Your Majesty.” Rapunzel shivered, recognizing the second voice as Rumpelstiltskin. Regardless, she moved as close to the bars as possible so she could clearly hear everything they were saying.

“I should kill you where you stand! How dare you risk the plan?! _Everything_ is at stake!”

“Not quite. See, it’s really just _your_ plan at stake, and to be honest, I don’t care much about _your_ plan. I got her for you, as promised.”

“Yes. How _did_ you manage to gain her trust?”

“Let’s just say, I was not myself.”

Rapunzel twisted her face in confusion. It had not been Rumpelstiltskin that gained her trust, it had been Bae.

“Ahhh…I should have known. You used your transformation powers. Very clever. So, tell me, who were you this time?”

“It doesn’t matter now does it? Are we going to finish the curse, or not?”

“Yes. Her hair; you cut it. Won’t the magic have been drastically diminished?”

“No, there is still plenty for what you require. Shall we get this over with? I’d rather like to be free of my dealings with you.”

“No more than I, believe me,” the Queen sneered. “After you.”

Rapunzel heard footsteps heading her way and she backed away from the bars as the doors were opened and Rumpelstiltskin strode in, followed closely by the Queen. The doors of the cell flung open with a wave of the Queen’s hand, and Rapunzel pushed herself as far against the wall as possible when Rumpelstiltskin approached her.

“You’re not the only one who finds him repulsive, dear,” the Queen said. “But don’t worry, it will be over quickly.”

Rumpelstiltskin gave the Queen a nasty look as he pulled out a vial of glowing liquid and unceremoniously dumped it over Rapunzel’s head.

“Well, would you look at that?” the Queen purred, running her fingers down Rapunzel’s hair. It had returned to its golden glow. “Elise was telling the truth. She was good for something after all.”

Rumpelstiltskin pulled out yet another vial, this one with a sparkling, clear liquid. He dipped Rapunzel’s hair into it and she inhaled sharply as she felt the power drain quickly from her. Her hair returned to the light brown color but the liquid in the vial now glowed brilliantly gold. It was enough to light the cell around them.

The Queen took a small parchment from her dress and smoothed it out, holding it flat while Rumpelstiltskin let a drop from the vial fall onto it. There was a quick flash of light and then nothing again.

“Perfect,” the Queen smiled. “You may leave, Rumpelstiltskin. The curse is nearly complete.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He turned to give Rapunzel a wave and a quick laugh before he disappeared.

After the door shut behind him, Rapunzel looked at the Queen, tears on her face, her voice weak. “Why are you prolonging this? Just kill me. I can’t take the waiting.”

“Oh, child. I’m not going to kill you.” She used a hand to lift Rapunzel’s chin. “If anything, I should be thanking you. Your hair provided me with an ingredient to my curse that I desperately needed.”

“Please let me go, I had nothing to do with trying to trick you. I told Elise that you would never be fooled.”

“Smart girl.”

“What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything to her.” The Queen smirked and it seemed her thoughts were elsewhere when she added, “She does, however, have quite a nasty surprise waiting for her when she tries to use that curse.”

“You gave her the curse?”

The Queen laughed. “Oh, my dear girl, no. I gave her what she thought was the curse. I never would have dealt with that repulsive woman, Ursula.”

“And the boy that came to visit me; it was Rumpelstiltskin all along?”

“So it was a _boy_ he played, was it? Interesting. He’s tricky that way, isn’t he?”

“What is the curse you keep talking about?”

“The Dark Curse is much too complex to explain in what little time we have left, but I will tell you that it will affect everyone in the realm.” She laughed cruelly. “I will _finally_ have my victory, and you made it all possible. I have to thank you for your help.”

Rapunzel shook her head tearfully. “I don’t understand.”

“I know, dear.” She almost sounded sympathetic as she opened the doors to leave.

“Please?!” Rapunzel cried, making her turn back around. “Please let me go? I promise I won’t tell anyone what you’re going to do! I’ve been trapped in that tower my whole life. I just want to be free. Please,” the last part was whispered as Rapunzel choked on her tears.

“Don’t worry, dear. Within the day, it won’t matter where you are, and you won’t have any memories of that tower.”

She was gone before Rapunzel had the chance to ask what she meant.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the missed day! To make up for it, I'll post two chapters tomorrow: one in the morning, and one at night.

Rapunzel was pacing the cell in the Queen’s palace. It seemed like it had been hours, but she really had no way of knowing. She was wondering what the Queen had meant about her memories. How could she possibly forget all of those years?

She froze when she heard something. Was that a storm coming? She strained to hear but it was unnecessary. Each second, it grew closer, louder. And then, impossibly, Rapunzel could see it; dark purple clouds billowing from underneath the doors. It didn’t take long for them to swallow her up. She was inside and it was deafening. She grew dizzy as the floor seemed to disappear from beneath her feet. No walls, no ceiling, just empty space filled with the clouds and pieces of debris as the storm ripped everything apart. It swirled all around her and she was terrified. This must be the Dark Curse. But what would it do? What was going to happen?

Rapunzel never found out, because the next moment, her whole world was forgotten.

* * *

_Raising her hand to ring the doorbell, she nearly screamed when the door was suddenly flung open, revealing the Evil Queen herself._

_“I was wondering how long you were going to stand in the rain,” she said flatly. Her face was emotionless as she asked, “What are you doing here Rapunzel?”_

She stared down at Annie, who stood shivering violently. Annie tried to answer the question but found she couldn’t speak. She was too cold and her whole body was shaking.

Regina suddenly reached out an arm and yanked the girl inside before slamming the door shut. “Now is not a good time to be standing with the door wide open,” she spat. When Annie said nothing, her lips blue and teeth chattering, Regina went to dig around in the hall closet. When she reemerged, she held a towel that she tossed at Annie.

With the heat from the house and the towel wrapped firmly around her, she found she was finally able to speak. “Th..th..thank y..you.”

“You still haven’t answered my question, Rapunzel.”

“Annie!” she said so forcefully, she surprised herself. “Call me Annie.”

Regina raised an eyebrow. “Well, then. Annie. What are you doing here?”

“I have nowhere else to go.”

“You have everywhere else to go. So, tell me.” She spoke the next words slowly, cruelly emphasizing every syllable, “Why did you come here?”

“I really _don’t_ have anywhere else to go.  Elise is the only person I know and I’m not going to her. The only other person I know is you.” She looked at Regina, trying to find any signs of the mayor she’d come to know in this world. There didn’t seem to be many. This was the woman who had stood before her in the cell, dangerous and powerful. Annie was having a very hard time putting the two women together. “Even with everything you’ve done, you’re the one who gave me my freedom.”

“Rumpelstiltskin freed you, not me.”

“No, he let me out of the tower. You freed me. You gave me this life, a fresh start, took away my past. I thought you were going to kill me, but you didn’t. You brought me here, and this life has been better than what I was living in our world by far. Why?”

Regina was silent, her expression unchanging. Annie was terrified, but she’d come this far – there wasn’t any turning back now.

“Regina…Your Majesty,” she amended quickly when the woman gave her a look that could kill, “I have known you for twenty-eight years. That’s longer than I was alive in our world. You’ve remembered everything all of these years. The only difference now is that I remember, too. I don’t know any of those people out there. So, as much as you terrify me – and you do,” Regina lifted an eyebrow to this, “—you’re also the only person I trust.”

“Stupid girl!” It was a violent tone and Annie flinched. “Any person out there could tell you, that is the last thing you should _ever_ do.”

“You’ve watched out for me for twenty-eight years. I’ll take my chances here.”

“Suit yourself.” She stalked off into the living room and Annie followed her.

“Do you have a change of clothes I could use?”

Regina simply tilted her head in the direction of the stairs. When Annie had left her, she went to stare into a mirror. She’d felt a kind of high, a mad rush of power, when she’d seen that magic hurling toward the town. It had quickly faded, however, when she realized they were still here in Storybrooke. Magic did not cooperate here as it did in her world. She could not manipulate it to her liking. It would be dangerous to try anything. She’d turned back around only to find herself still in Henry’s room. She felt a gnawing pain when she thought of him. He would be with Emma and his family, happy, celebrating, perhaps even telling them all how horrible it had been to live with the Evil Queen. She picked up a lamp and threw it across the room with as much force as she could. The sound of it shattering was slightly satisfying. Unable to stand in the room any longer, she’d headed down the stairs but had been stopped at the base of them by the sight of a figure on the walkway outside. At first, she’d thought it was someone out to have their revenge, but after a minute, the figure hadn’t moved. Regina had moved closer, and quickly realized it was Rapunzel. But what was the girl doing there? The curse was broken; she would remember who everyone truly was.

Now she looked into her mirror, seeing herself reflected back. She tried to search her own expression, looking for what she wanted. She wanted the curse, but that was gone now. She wanted her power, but they were not in her world. Now the girl upstairs wanted something from her, too. It was all unacceptable. She walked over to the couch slowly, considering all of her options.

There really was only one logical choice. She would have to figure out some way to re-enact the curse. There might still be some power left in what the curse originally was. Rumpelstiltskin had kept that bottle of pure love and it was entirely possible he had kept other things as well. She knew he would never help her, but that was alright. She could overpower him; he had no more advantage in this world than she did, especially now. With the curse broken, he no longer had the power of please.

* * *

When Annie was done drying off and changing, she found Regina still sitting in the living room, expressionless, staring at a wall.

“Why me?”

The Queen must have known she was there because she did not seem surprised by the quiet question. “What do you mean?”

“All of these people. The curse was about making them unhappy, wasn’t it? But not me. You gave me a position under you, let me lead my own life. I had a nice place to live, friends, a good job. Why would you let _me_ be happy?”

Regina studied her for a moment. “I told you when I had you in that cell. Without you, none of this would ever have been possible.”

Realization dawned on Annie. “My hair…that’s what allowed everyone to stay exactly the same all of those years. The reason no one aged.”

“Yes.”

“But why cast this curse? I don’t understand the point of being in this world.” Annie grabbed a blanket from the couch, still cold from her time outside, and wrapped it around herself. She settled in, a familiar action, as she’d done it many times before on that same couch while taking notes for the mayor after late-night meetings. “What made you want to cast it in the first place?”

Regina looked at her sharply, rising to her feet. “Don’t think for a minute that I won’t kill you like I would kill anyone else in this town.” Annie sank more deeply into the blanket in fear. “I needed your help in making this curse but that debt has been repaid. I owe you nothing!” She walked toward where Annie sat. Leaning in close, she hissed, “There will be no explanations, no pity, and no mercy. I am no longer Mayor Mills to you, Annie. I am your Queen.” She stood up straight again. “It would be best for you if you didn’t forget that.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she whispered. “It won’t happen again.”

They remained silent for several minutes. The Queen was pacing the room, thinking about her next move while Annie sat wrapped up in the blanket and her own thoughts. It was then that Annie remembered quite suddenly what she’d been doing just before the curse had been broken, and wasn’t able to stop her outburst in time, “Henry!” She wondered if he was okay, and how Emma had managed to break the curse, as it could only have been her.

It had been the very worst thing to say. Annie could see that immediately.

The queen’s voice was as cold as ice when she spoke, “Don’t _ever_ say that name again!”

Annie was saved from what she was sure was about to become an execution by rustling noises coming from the backyard. They both froze. “What was that?” she breathed, barely audible.

The queen shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Quite suddenly, Emma popped up into view, heading toward the house. “Ow!” They heard her say in a loud whisper. “Mary-Margaret, you stepped on my foot!”

“It was an accident! Now hush, Emma, people will hear you!”

The queen stared, open-mouthed, as Emma opened the back door with Snow White and Charming in tow. Charming shut the door behind him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Regina nearly screamed. Her anger could be felt through her words and it was said with such force, it could almost knock a person over. She was about to take action when a small figure stepped out from behind Emma. Henry.

“Hi, mom,” he said timidly.

The expression on Regina’s face immediately softened. “Henry,” she whispered. All the fight went out of her and she had a hard time just trying to remain standing.

Henry glanced up at Emma, who gave him a small nod. Everyone watched in shock as he went straight to Regina and put his arms around her.

She bent to return the hug and there were clearly tears in her eyes. “I love you, Henry.”

“I love you, too.”

Regina choked back a sob. Those words had almost killed her a few hours ago when they’d been for Emma. Now, they were for her and nothing was more important.

Emma looked on uncomfortably, but Snow and Charming were watching as if they didn’t believe what was happening.

Suddenly realizing she was being watched, Regina pulled back and wiped her eyes. She straightened and looked around at everyone. “We need to talk. You should all take a seat.” It was a business-like tone.

Annie watched her curiously. Despite what Regina had said only a short while ago, Mayor Mills did still exist. It just took Henry to draw her out. She was amazed by the completely different woman she was now looking at.

A voice brought her out of her thoughts. “Annie, what are you doing here?” It was Henry. “The curse is broken. Don’t you remember who you are? How come you’re not with your family?”

“Because I’m Rapunzel,” Annie informed him sadly. “I don’t have any family.”

Emma turned to Regina. “You locked her in a tower?!”

“I most certainly did not.”

“She didn’t,” Henry explained. “Rapunzel was locked in a tower by a crazy witch.”

“Not that there’s any difference,” Snow muttered.

Emma coughed to cover a laugh.

Regina, looking positively murderous, opened her mouth, but was interrupted by James.

“Rapunzel…I’ve heard stories about you. I didn’t think any of them were true. But your hair…Isn’t it supposed to uh…”

“Be all magical and stuff?” Emma finished for him.

Everyone looked at her oddly.

“What? I read fairytales when I was a kid. I’m not totally oblivious. So…what about your hair?”

“It possessed the power to heal.”

“Possess _ed_ , as in past tense? What happened?”

“Umm…Someone used it all up.” No one missed the nervous glance that she gave Regina.

“Really, Regina?” Snow asked.

Regina narrowed her eyes. “You should thank me, dear. Without that part of the curse, you wouldn’t have stayed so youthful.”

“Okay, everyone stop,” Emma said suddenly. “This whole fairytale magic thing is really starting to creep me out, and we have much more important things to be talking about. Gold, for starters.”

“Rumpelstiltskin?” Regina turned to her interestedly. “Do you know something?”

“I think he’s the one who brought magic to Storybrooke.”

“Do you think it has something to do with what he had us retrieve from Maleficent?”

“Excuse me, _us_? I don’t recall you helping me fight that….Maleficent? As in Sleeping Beauty, spinning wheel, sleep for a hundred years?”

Regina was about to respond when the doorbell rang. They all looked around at each other. Regina moved to answer but Emma stopped her. “No.” She lowered her voice to just above a whisper, “Whoever it is probably isn’t here for a friendly chat. Let me check it out.”

Snow turned to Emma worriedly. “Emma, it won’t look good if the savior opens the door to the Evil Queen’s house.”

“I’m not going to open it. I’m just going to see who’s there. Everyone stand back.”

Regina instinctively pushed Henry behind her, keeping a hand on his arm. The others all stepped forward, creating a protective barrier between her and the front door.


	6. Chapter 6

Grace was at school when the wave hit. She now stood amongst all the other kids out front. She moved to the back of the crowd as more and more of her classmates rushed into the arms of their parents. Everyone’s memories had returned and they were all overjoyed to remember their lives together. Grace sat on a bench against the building, pulling her knees under her chin. There would be no happy reunion for her. Her father had been missing awhile before they’d been brought to this world. Even in this world, she’d believed she was the daughter of someone else. That must mean that her father wasn’t here. She watched everyone laughing and crying, talking excitedly to one another.

“Grace?!” Her head popped up. That sounded like her papa’s voice. But that couldn’t be possible. Surely she was imagining things.

“Grace?!” This time it was a little louder, and other people were looking around. They heard it, too.

“Papa?” She stood on the bench, looking above people’s heads. Then she saw him. He was pushing through the crowd. He looked up, finally spotting her.

“GRACE!” He moved faster through the crowd and she jumped into his arms the minute he was close enough.

“Papa, where have you been?” she cried, hugging him more tightly than she ever had.

“Oh Grace, I’ve missed you so much!”

He set her down and when she looked up at him, her face was somewhat sad. “Papa, you missed the tea party.”

“I did, didn’t I? I’m so sorry, Grace. You were right – I shouldn’t have gone.”

“It’s okay. We can have another tea party. Can we go home now, papa?”

Jefferson looked down at his daughter and his fury washed over him once again. The Queen had made sure he was kept from his daughter all of these years. He had missed so much because of her; he couldn’t let her get away with it.

“Soon, Grace. Let’s go for a walk first, shall we?”

“Alright.” She smiled and took his offered hand, holding it tightly.

They walked for a while in contented silence but there was something troubling Grace and she finally had to ask.

 “Papa?” She drew his attention as they walked up the street. “Why do I remember being me, but also Paige?”

Jefferson stiffened and came to a halt, turning towards her. “Grace,” he bent down to her level. “That was done so you wouldn’t remember me.”

“By the Queen?”

“Yes,” he confirmed darkly. “She wanted to keep us apart, but I couldn’t let her win. I’ve been trying to come for you all of these years…”

“Years?” Grace said. “But papa, it’s only been a few months.”

Jefferson stood up abruptly and began walking again. He did not want to explain to her the length of the curse, nor did he think it appropriate to share the horrors of Wonderland with a child.

“Papa?”

“Of course.” He laughed, but it wasn’t pleasant-sounding. “It’s only been a few months.”

Grace stopped suddenly; her hand pulled out of Jefferson’s as he took another step before realizing she’d stopped. She recognized the street they were on. This was the mayor’s street. The Queen’s house was not far.

“What is it, Grace?”

“Where are we going, Papa?”

“To see the Queen. She has something of mine; something I want back.”

He pulled her forward again, but her arm strained as she pulled against it.

“I don’t understand, Papa. Why are we going to see the Queen? We’re together again. That’s all that matters, right?”

“No, Grace. She took everything from us. Things won’t be right until we’re back home.”

She moved to block his path and when he looked down at her, she took a step backward. His expression was that of a mad man. He’d never looked at her like that. She’d never seen him look at _anyone_ like that. It was in that moment she knew something was very wrong with her father.

“The hat, Grace. We won’t stop until we get the hat.”

“And then we can go home?” she asked fearfully.

“No. That comes later. First, there are a few people I want to visit. We can use their help.”

“For what, papa?”

He grinned and his look grew crazed. “To destroy this horrible world so that no one can ever be trapped here again.”

* * *

Belle was out of breath by the time Rumpelstiltskin finally came to a stop.

“Where are we?” She looked around. They were at the edge of the forest and there was a road in front of them.

“The edge of town.”

“Why?”

“Judging by you, everyone now has their memories back, which means that the curse has been broken. I’m here to see to what extent.” He stepped onto the road and reached out a hand to her. She took it and stood next to him.

“Now, for the next order of business,” he said, beginning to walk forward.

Belle followed his actions curiously, wondering where they were headed. She jumped a moment later when she heard a distressed cry. She turned around, realizing that she was no longer holding his hand. Rumpelstiltskin was now a few steps behind her.

“What’s the matter? Why did you stop?” she asked.

In answer, he tried to take a step forward but nothing happened. He put up a hand, palm flat, and the air shimmered so faintly, she almost didn’t notice.

“What is that?” Belle walked back to Rumpelstiltskin and placed her hand up against his. She felt only his hand. There was no barrier that she could detect.

The expression that came over his face was one of complete shock and terrible suffering.

“That part of the curse is broken,” he muttered under his breath. “But I still can’t leave.”

“I don’t understand.”

His face hardened and he turned back toward town, walking quickly once again. “It means, my love, that I’ve underestimated Her Majesty.”

* * *

Emma approached the door on tiptoes and leaned silently into it as she looked through the peephole. She stood still for a moment, blinking. The sight was not what she had expected; one figure, clasping his hands and glancing around nervously.

“Well?” Mary-Margaret breathed.

Emma pulled open the door and everyone inhaled sharply and pulled back until they saw who it was.

“It’s Archie,” Emma announced.

“Well you might’ve said that before you opened the door.” Regina told her harshly.

Emma shrugged her shoulders and closed the door as Archie stepped inside. “Sorry.”

Archie, for his part, was staring around open-mouthed at everyone.

“What are you doing here?” Regina asked, and everyone stepped aside.

“I ummm…I came to….Henry?” Archie was distracted when Henry stepped out from behind Regina.

“Hey, Archie,” Henry beamed. “I _told_ you Operation Cobra was real.”

“That you did. But what are you all-“

“-doing at the Evil Queen’s house?” Emma interrupted. “Long story. What are _you_ doing here, Archie?”

“I came to warn the Queen.”

“Of what?” Regina glared at him.

“The town members…they’re planning to come here. It won’t be long now…”

“Then we’ll have to get out of here quickly,” Mary-Margaret began ushering people out of the entryway.

“You had to have expected that, though,” Emma said looking curiously at Regina. “Why did you come here? It’s the first place anyone would look.”

Everyone stopped and turned to look at Regina.

“Why did _you_ come here to look for me?” she asked Emma.

“I knew you’d be here. You don’t strike me as the running-away type. You’re arrogant like that.”

“It’s not arrogance,” Regina said haughtily, “It’s truth. I could have handled the situation myself. I wasn’t expecting the whole ‘ _royal family_ ’ to drop by for a visit.”

 Sounds of yelling off in the distance alerted everyone that they’d run out of time.

“They’re coming!” Archie cried.

“It’s too late to leave through the back door,” Mary-Margaret told them and Emma could see she had fully become Snow, someone with infinitely more confidence and bravery. “You’re going to have to get us out of here.” The last statement was matter-of-fact and directed at Regina.

“I can’t.” Also matter-of-fact.

“I’ve seen you do it before. Magic is back. So you can—”

“No! I’ve never done it with so many people.” Her voice was sounding more unsure now.

“Well, now’s as good a time as any to try.”

“I don’t know what will happen. Things are different here.”

“We don’t really have another—” but the rest of the sentence was cut off by the sound of the glass door at the back of the house shattering.

“Come on, Regina,” Emma said, although she wasn’t sure what it was she was encouraging her to do.

Regina now looked panicked. “I only just got my power back. I don’t know if I can do this.”

A window in the front shattered and the sounds of the angry mob all around them filled the house.

“You have to!” Snow yelled, barely heard over the noise.

Regina was still unsure but looked down when she felt arms around her waist.

Henry had embraced her and was looking up, fear plain on his face. That gave her strength.

“All right. Everyone grab hold!”

“What?” Emma looked confused.

“Everyone has to be in physical contact with me if this is going to work.” She held her arms out and everyone, unsure of what was happening, clasped on.

Regina closed her eyes and blocked out the noise of the mob that was growing dangerously close. Her brow furrowed in concentration and she cried out as she felt the strain of the magic.

A half-second later, a crowd gathered in the now empty room.

“Search the house!” Someone yelled, and they all spread out, destroying almost everything in their path.

* * *

Grumpy stood off to the side of the yard, watching in horror as the house was torn apart. Jiminy had been right; this had been a bad idea. Everyone had quickly lost control of their emotions and intentions. They’d grown angrier as they’d walked through the streets and by the time they’d arrived, it was clear that the majority of them were out for blood.

He let out the breath he’d been holding when someone exited, yelling “The Queen’s not here!” He hadn’t meant for this to become a witch hunt.

His relief was short-lived, however, as the crowd re-formed and headed to the street.

“Stop,” he called to them, no longer able to just stand by and watch. “Where are you all going?”

“To find the Queen.” It was Dr. Whale.

“And what happens after that?” Grumpy asked the crowd. “Will you destroy the town, too?”

“The Queen needs to be punished. She’ll be put to death when we find her.” The crowd around him cheered. “If the town is destroyed in the process, then so be it.”

“What about everyone else?”

“They’ll be fine, as long as they stay out of the way.”

Everyone cheered again, and Grumpy watched as they spread into the streets and began searching houses.

Grumpy stayed behind, watching in shame and despair as the crowd became a rioting mob, everyone tearing everything apart, looking for the Queen. His temper had gotten him into this and he knew there was no way to stop it.


	7. Chapter 7

“...Whoa.” Emma blinked, shaking her head to clear her vision. They were now all standing behind the apartment that she and Mary-Margaret shared.

“Mom!” She turned to see Henry on the ground leaning over an unconscious Regina. Emma moved in to check on her and nodded to Snow to show that she was indeed just unconscious.

“What’s wrong with her?” Henry asked worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Henry,” Snow comforted. “She’ll be okay, it just made her a little tired. We all need to get inside now.”

Emma glanced up, seeing the destruction of the town for the first time. They were safe for now; they were hidden from view and out of the way, but it definitely wouldn’t be smart to stay here much longer. The shouts could still be heard from this distance and she could see fires burning randomly throughout the town.

“Let’s get inside,” Snow repeated. “Charming?”

“I’ve got her.” He reached down and easily scooped Regina into his arms. She looked as if she was starting to regain consciousness.

They all hurried inside, holding their breath in the stairway, hoping no one would appear and see them there with Regina.

Snow fumbled for the key outside the apartment. Charming grew uncomfortable when Regina finally opened her eyes and looked at him, although she looked as if focusing was taking an effort.

“David?” She sounded confused and Snow paused with the key in the door to turn and watch. “David? What happened? I’m so dizzy.” The words were weak and it was obvious that she hadn’t fully woken up.

“You fell,” he lied, wanting to get inside quickly. “You’ll be alright in a minute.”

“Okay.” She closed her eyes again. “Thanks for dinner.”

Snow gave him an odd look then turned back around and pushed open the door. She flipped on a small table lamp and everyone hurried inside.

“Lay her on the couch, Charming,” Snow instructed as she went to get a glass of water.

“I’m okay.” The voice was Regina’s, stronger now, more alert. “Just set me down.”

Charming looked hesitant but set her lightly on her feet. She began to sway slightly but he held on and was surprised when the Queen gripped his arms for support. She stood like that for a moment, eyes closed, before slowly letting go. “Thank you,” she said quietly and sat on the end of the couch, not making eye contact with anyone.

It was only a couple of seconds before Henry was glued to her side. “I’m sorry that made you so tired, but mom?”

“Yes?”

He grinned, “That was sooo AWESOME!”

Regina smiled faintly, still weak from the drain on her energy. She closed her eyes and leaned against the cushions, enjoying the feeling of having Henry right next to her. She had never expected him to treat her so well. She was afraid that at any moment he would remember how much he’d hated her and go back to the way things were before. She opened her eyes to see everyone watching her. James was staring at her so intensely, she thought it a small miracle he didn’t explode.

Snow suddenly appeared at her side holding out the water. “I thought you said that magic was unpredictable in this world,” she said.

“I did, and it is.”

“So how did you manage to get us here?”

“We were really lucky. I was aiming for your living room.”

“Oh.”

Regina took a drink of the water and then looked at Emma. “You said you think it was Rumpelstiltskin who released the magic?”

“Yeah, I’m just not sure why he would do it.”

“It was so that he had some way of trying to subdue me. He knew I would stop at nothing to keep everyone here and try to re-enact the curse. There’s something he wants and he knows I’d do anything to keep him from getting it so we can remain in Storybrooke. He doesn’t know that that isn’t what’s most important to me now.”

“What is?” Snow asked suspiciously.

Regina glanced down at Henry and back to Snow angrily. “I would think that would be obvious. Anyway, I took precautions. Rumpelstiltskin won’t be able to achieve what he wants. There’ll be no returning home without it.”

“You trapped us here?!” Snow yelled.

“Not just me, my dear. It was Rumpelstiltskin who designed that part of the curse. I simply added a little safety lock without his knowledge.”

“So, we’re stuck here forever?!”

“It would seem that way, wouldn’t it? I’m not all that eager to return. There is _nothing_ for me there. You saw to that!” Her voice was filled with the most hatred any of them could imagine and everyone shrunk back slightly.

Everyone looked awkwardly at Snow, whose face had filled with grief. “Regina, I’m sorry! I know I can never make it up to you. I would fix it if I could, but there’s nothing I can do.” There were tears in her eyes as she continued, “Please don’t punish everyone else for my mistake.”

Everyone looked confused and they were staring at the women, but the two seemed to have forgotten they had an audience.

“We tried that once, dear, remember? It didn’t work out so well, as I recall.”

“It did work, for a while. I had to relive all those moments from when we first met, only this time, with the knowledge of what I’d done to you.” Regina looked slightly surprised, but it was a fleeting expression. Snow continued, “Why did you wait so long to tell me? You said it was out of kindness, but that can’t be it. You wouldn’t hate me so much if that were the truth. Why did you raise me? You were my mother! You pretended to love me and care about me for so many years!” Snow was full-on sobbing now. “But I can’t understand _why. Why_ , Regina?!”

Everyone looked uncomfortable but they were saved by James. He cleared his throat, snapping them out of the moment. “Sorry, but…this isn’t the time. That crowd out there might not _stay_ out there forever.” He placed his hand gently on Snow’s arm.

She nodded, “You’re right. This is a conversation for another day.”

Emma was shaking her head. “Too weird.”

“What?” Snow asked.

“I forgot. Evil Queen…Snow White,” she said gesturing between them. “She’s your stepmother – which, oh my God! Makes you my grandma and Henry’s great-grandma!” she realized, looking disgustedly at Regina.

Regina looked just as disgusted and Henry had his face all screwed up thinking about it.

“uh…ugh…uh,” Emma shuddered. “Never mind, let’s just not think about that. You’re right, we need to be thinking about what we’re going to do.”

“There’s not much you _can_ do right now,” Archie said. “That crowd’s too dangerous. It will most likely be days before they’ve calmed down.”

“You’re right.” Snow agreed. “In the meantime, though, something should be done about Rumpelstiltskin.”

“No,” Regina said, surprising everyone. “He’s already been handled, at least in the way that matters now. He won’t be able to leave Storybrooke. Everyone else can, however, and we need to get Henry out of town. That’s top priority. It’s not safe here with everyone rioting.”

“You’re right,” Emma nodded. “And you need to be the one to take him.”

“What?” It was everyone in unison.

“Emma—” James started to argue, but Snow cut him off.

“She’s right.” Regina looked surprised. “The town is out for blood. It’s not safe for you here. You need to get out for now, and I know that you would never let anything happen to Henry.” The last part sounded almost like a threat.

“How can you be sure?” James asked.

Regina stood up quickly, her head spinning slightly. She had to catch her balance but her voice was steady, “I would die before I let anything happen to Henry!”

“Says the woman who poisoned him,” James pointed out.

Regina took a step toward him but Archie spoke up.

“It’s okay, King James. She would take care of Henry. He’s safe with her.”

Jiminy looked slightly uncomfortable as Regina studied him. He turned to look to his right. “You should take Annie with you.”

Everyone looked at Annie, only just noticing that she was still sitting there. She’d been so quiet for so long, they’d forgotten she was even with them.

“Why?” she asked, looking up.

“I agree.” Regina looked at her. “It’s dangerous for you here as well. No one knows who you are. They only know you’ve been working with me. They’ll assume the worst. Rumpelstiltskin is running around, too, and we wouldn’t want him getting ahold of you.”

“It’s almost dark,” Emma said, looking out the window. “We can sneak you out then.”

Snow nodded. “You can take my car. Emma, can you get a few things together for them?”

Emma nodded once and hurried into the next room.

James turned to Regina. “So now that the curse has been broken, what exactly are your intentions?”

“To deal with Rumpelstiltskin.”

“But what about the rest of us? What about getting home?” He was staring at her in that way again, and it was making her uncomfortable.

She wasn’t quite sure how to answer. She hadn’t been lying about Henry being her top priority, but that didn’t really change her plans to re-enact the curse. Henry’s family would never let him stay with her, and he was all she had left. She certainly had no intention of returning home. However, she knew that if she put the curse on everyone again, Henry would never forgive her. He really would hate her and then she would have no reason to stay. She decided in this case, it would be safe to tell the truth.

“Would you believe me if I told you I didn’t know?” She looked at him and he saw complete sincerity, a look he was not accustomed to seeing on the Queen’s face.

There was an urgent knocking and everyone froze.

It was Snow who went to the door this time to peek out.

* * *

Grace ran full speed through the streets, fear driving her forward. On their way to the Queen’s home, they’d run right into an insane mob of people. Rather than hide, as Grace had wanted to do, her father had plunged them right into the middle of it.

Jefferson saw the house in its disheveled state and could think only of the hat; his key to the future, his happiness with Grace. It consumed him so completely that he forgot what his future revolved around and why happiness had eluded him for such a long time. He did the one thing he’d so vigorously promised himself through the last hellish decades that he wouldn’t do. He let go of his daughter’s hand and forgot her existence. His attention was so fully on the hat that had driven him mad that he didn’t notice her running away. He brushed through everyone as though they weren’t there and focused solely on his goal. He would have his revenge.

Grace ran, tears clouding her vision. Her father, the one she knew and loved, seemed not to exist and there were strangers all around screaming and causing nothing but destruction. No one noticed her, thankfully, until she was at her teacher’s house.

When the door finally opened, Grace flung herself at Snow, losing all control. “Ms. Blanchard,” she sobbed, “or whoever you are, you have to help me! There’s something wrong with my papa. He’s getting his hat from the Queen’s house so he can destroy this world! I’m afraid!” she cried, hugging the woman tightly. She pulled back and continued, “I ran away, but everyone outside is crazy. They’re all angry and burning things. Some of them are hurting people! You have to help me. I’m so scared!”

She’d spoken too soon. Her teacher stepped aside, revealing the Evil Queen’s presence in the room, and Grace felt true fear.


	8. Chapter 8

The Blue Fairy stood over the bed, looking down at Pinocchio. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the task at hand. She could feel the magic flowing through her, but then she felt a surge, as if it had moved away from her. She frowned.

“What is it?” Geppetto asked.

“Something’s not right. The magic isn’t doing what it’s supposed to.”

“Sure it is. Look at Pinocchio.”

She opened her eyes, and Pinocchio was indeed changing. His features were softening, turning human once again.

Knowing  that it was working, she continued, but the magic still felt wrong and it worried her.

Pinocchio suddenly sat up. He looked around for a few confused moments. Seeing the Blue Fairy above him, he hoped that her presence and the fact that he was human again, meant that the curse had been broken. He glanced over questioningly at Geppetto. “Father?”

“Pinocchio! My boy!” Geppetto was at the bedside in a second, hugging his son tightly.

“Father, I’m so sorry. I promised I would stay with Emma, help her know about the curse, but I—”

“You did your best. It’s all worked out now. The curse is broken – everyone remembers who they are. I’m so proud of you, Pinocchio. Look at you; you’re all grown up!”

August smiled. It felt odd being called Pinocchio again after so long, but he reveled in the moment. He was with his father and he had been forgiven. After a moment, he was pulled from his thoughts by the sounds coming from outside. There were screams, yelling, glass breaking. It sounded like chaos.

“Father, what’s going on out there?”

“Oh, Pinocchio, it’s terrible. People were outraged to know what the Queen has done to us. They formed a search-party to look for her, but it got out of hand. They’re tearing everything apart, and they’re looking for blood.”

“Where’s Emma?” August sat up suddenly. The last time he’d seen her, she’d said she was talking with the Queen and Rumpelstiltskin. Where was she in the mess? He felt the urgent need to track her down and make sure she was alright.

* * *

Grace screamed and bolted for the door but Snow caught her around the waist.

“Paige, wait! It’s not safe out there!”

“It’s not safe in _here_! You’re working with _her_!”

James got up and secured the lock on the door above Paige’s head and stood in front of it.

“Paige, just listen. It’s not what you think,” Snow tried to explain.

“Her name is Grace.” Grace stopped struggling and turned to face the Queen, who had been the one to speak.

Regina was crossing the room to stand in front of the girl.

Grace trembled but stood her ground. “My papa told me about what you did to us. How you kept us apart!”

Emma shook her head. “Poor Jefferson. He tried to tell me and I didn’t believe him.”

Regina glanced at Emma when she spoke but immediately turned her attention back to Grace. She bent down slightly to look into Grace’s eyes. “Believe me, dear, when I say that everything I did was for a good reason. Your father is not well. You wouldn’t have been safe with him.”

“Because of you!” Paige yelled. “He was fine before he went off with you. We were happy! Why couldn’t you just leave us alone?”

Regina straightened. “I needed his help. No one can do what your father can, but Grace…you said he told you he was going to destroy this world?”

“Yes, with his hat.”

It was an extremely odd and almost laughable statement to those who didn’t know the significance of the particular hat mentioned, but everyone was distracted from that by the growing concern on Regina’s face.

“Think very carefully, Grace. Did he say anything else? How he planned to do that?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“JUST…” the first word came out a yell, extremely angry, but Regina took a breath and brought the level back down, “…tell me. Please. You want to see your father well again, don’t you?” She knew this was low, especially since she had no way of knowing if Grace would ever get her father back, but at this point, she really didn’t care.

“He said…he was going to visit a couple of people that could help.”

“Are you sure?” Regina had gone rigid and her face drained of color.

“Yes,” Grace answered carefully. “That’s what he said.”

“What is it, Regina?” Emma asked worriedly.

Regina faced everyone before she spoke. “Rumpelstiltskin is of no concern now. Jefferson is going to be a much bigger problem. I have to go find him,” she moved toward the door but James still blocked it.

“What is going on?” he questioned, not budging.

“There’s no time!” Regina spat. “Move aside!”

“No!” Emma’s voice was strong. “You have to get Henry and Annie out of here! You’ll have to take Grace with you now. The four of you need to get out of town. I’ll find Jefferson.”

“But this—”

“ _I_ will find him, Regina. You and I both know you’d never get very far with that crowd out there.” Her face grew solemn. “You have to protect Henry. _Promise_ me, Regina.”

Regina looked severely conflicted. Jefferson posed a great threat, and she didn’t trust Emma to deal with it. When she looked over at Henry, however, she could see how scared he was and she knew that she needed to get him out. Finally, she nodded. “I promise.”

“Good. So, what do I do when I find him?”

“Just restrain him. I’ll call you as soon as we get out of town. I’ll tell you what to do then. You have to hurry, Ms. Swan. If Jefferson succeeds…”

“Alright, I’ll go now. Henry…”

Henry jumped off the couch and went to her.

“Be safe and do everything Regina tells you, promise?”

“Yeah.” He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Be careful, Emma. I love you.”

She returned his hug. “I love you, too, kid.” When she released him, she turned to Mary-Margaret and David.

“Please be careful, Emma,” Snow said, hugging her daughter.

“I will.” When she turned to David, however, he shook his head. “I’m coming with you.”

“It would be better if I go alone.”

“No, it won’t. Trust me, Emma, I’m not David anymore, I know what I’m doing. You’ll need help and I’m not letting you go alone.”

Emma looked at him for a moment and then sighed. “Fine. Let’s go.”

He turned quickly to Snow. “Stay here,” he said, reading her expression. “They need help escaping and we’ll need you here when we get back.” She nodded. “I love you,” he added and kissed her quickly on the lips. “We’ll be back.”

They pulled open the door and Emma looked at Regina. “You better call,” she said, and the door was pulled shut.

Snow grabbed the small bag of supplies Emma had pulled together off the floor and handed it to Regina.

After taking it, Regina hesitated for a moment. “You’re going to need Rumpelstiltskin’s help.” The statement sounded as if it was painful for Regina to say.

“What?”

“This is a much bigger problem than we were anticipating. He’ll have to be in on it.”

“What exactly are we talking about, Regina?” Snow sounded irritated. “You’ve sent my family off to clean up one of your messes but you haven’t said what the problem is.”

“I’ll explain later. It’s much too long a story to go into details now.”

“Alright, then. What do I tell Rumpelstiltskin?”

“Tell him, if he agrees to help us, I’ll help him with his problem.”

“His problem?”

“He’ll understand.”

Snow tilted her head to the side and her voice was lower when she spoke. “That’s not what I’m worried about. Everyone knows that his deals come with a price. What exactly will it cost this time?”

“Nothing you should concern yourself with.”

Snow grew angry. “I shouldn’t concern myself? I’ve just woken up from a twenty-eight year daze; one that _you_ put me in, with the help of Rumpelstiltskin. Now you’re telling me that I shouldn’t _concern myself_ about a deal you want to make with him? Those are _my_ people out there, Regina. I will do everything I can to protect them and get them back home.”

“Well then, that everything should include making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, because that’s the only way it’s ever going to happen.”

“Why should I trust that you’re telling me the truth?”

“You shouldn’t, dear, but what other choice do you have?” Regina gave her a dazzling smile that dripped with disdain. “Believe me, I have more important things to worry about than whether or not you trust me.” Her smile disappeared immediately and Snow was surprised to hear the urgency in her next words. “It is imperative that you gain the help of Rumpelstiltskin. Will you do it or not?”

Snow was silent for a minute but she finally nodded. “I will.”

The lights suddenly flickered, and the power went out. Snow shivered, feeling as if this were a sign that she shouldn’t have agreed to Regina’s request.

Grace screamed, wrapping her arms around Snow and Henry jumped, moving to stand closer to his mother.

“It’s alright,” Snow told Grace. “Someone must have knocked down a line. It’s just the power – we’re still safe.” It took a moment for everyone’s eyes to adjust, but there was still a small amount of light from the moon outside the window. “It’s time for you to get going,” she told Regina.

Archie stood from his spot. “We should walk you out, make sure no one notices you leaving.”

Snow nodded. “Okay, everyone, let’s go.”

“Wait!” Grace looked extremely upset. “I can’t go with _her_!”

“Grace,” Henry stood in front of his former classmate. “We’re friends; you trust me, right?”

She took a moment to answer but then nodded her head. “Yes.”

“She’s my mom. Trust me when I say she’ll take care of us; you’ll be okay.”

Grace looked at Regina, and back at Henry. “But she’s the Evil Queen,” Grace whispered. “She hurts people.”

“I know,” Henry agreed. “But she doesn’t hurt me, and as long as you’re with me, she won’t hurt you, either.”

Regina felt pained that Henry so easily acknowledged her past wrong-doings, but they were true. She couldn’t dispute them. At least he knew that she would never let any harm come to him.

“Please come with us?” Henry asked. “I promise you’ll be okay.”

Regina nodded when Grace looked at her for confirmation.

“Fine.”

Regina stuck her hand out for Henry and he took it. “Come on, Annie,” she called back, and the young woman followed them out of the apartment.

They crept carefully down the dark stairway and were relieved to see there was no one in the immediate area. Snow’s car was parked right out front and she unlocked it, helping Grace into the back seat. She was about to hand Regina the keys when Annie stopped her. “Wait a minute! Someone could see you driving and then we’d all be in trouble. I should drive. At least until we get out of Storybrooke.”

Regina nodded and Annie took the keys, crawling into the driver’s seat.

Henry gave Snow a quick hug and looked at Archie. “Thank you,” he said before Regina pushed him towards the car.

Snow grabbed Regina’s hand before she could get in herself, and Regina was about to rip it away when she realized Snow was shoving a wad of money into her palm.

“You’ll need this.”

Regina couldn’t bring herself to thank her enemy, so she gave a slight nod, tucking the money safely into her pocket. She slid into the passenger’s seat and then down out of sight.

Annie started up the car and they drove away.

Archie looked at Snow White as they walked back inside. “Where did you get all of the money?”

“It was something I’d saved up in case of an emergency. I always kept a stash in the apartment.”

They were silent a moment. “Are you okay with this?”

“No. I don’t like it at all. I don’t trust her.”

Archie turned to her, alarmed by the answer. “Then why’d you let her go?”

Snow shut her apartment door and locked it all back up. “Because there are two things that are true: First; she’ll take care of Henry, and second; we don’t have any hope of ever getting back home without her. Now that she’s got Emma and Charming out on some mission, we’ll need even more help, but it’s a madhouse out there. I don’t know who to ask.”

“I know where you can start,” Archie thought back to earlier in the day. “Granny and Red.”

“Of course!” Snow actually smiled. She picked up the phone, but there was no dial tone. “Right. No power.” She pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “This world isn’t completely terrible,” she said, dialing Red’s number. “Communication here is certainly much easier.”

She prayed that Red would pick up as she listened to the phone ring. Hopefully both she and Granny were alright out in that chaos.


	9. Chapter 9

Jefferson found a spot in the woods where he could no longer hear the distracting noises of the townspeople. He set down the case and gently lifted the lid, peering inside. There it was, his beautiful hat, the precious item that could fix everything for him. He pulled it out carefully, caressing the rim. Everything was hanging on this moment. He set it on the ground and gave it a spin, stepping back quickly.

He was delighted to see when it immediately took on a life of its own. Not like the last time when he’d been underground with Regina. Magic really was back, and in full force. He didn’t waste another second as he jumped inside.

* * *

Annie stopped clutching the wheel so tightly as they passed through the outskirts of town. There weren’t any buildings beyond this point, and no city lights, so she felt they were safe from the threat of being stopped by anyone.

“I think it’s okay now,” she told Regina. “We’re past the town.”

Regina sat upright in her seat and buckled her seatbelt. “Good,” she said, looking out the window. “We’re almost to the barrier.”

“What’s that?” Henry asked suddenly, pointing off to the side of the road. He turned around in his seat to look behind him as they continued forward.

“There’s something moving out there.” Grace sounded frightened and she had hunkered down in her seat.

“I think there’s something in the road,” Annie said, squinting to see beyond the reach of the headlights. She screamed and slammed on the brakes as she finally made out what was in the distance.

Everyone in the car stared, unbelieving, as a large mass of trees moved toward them.

“Are those trees…walking?” Henry asked. “How is that possible? I didn’t think they even did that in fairytale land.”

“They don’t,” Regina confirmed. “Someone’s been using magic.”

“Can you do anything about it?” Annie asked her worriedly. “They’re headed right for us, and I don’t think going back to town is a good idea.”

“If I use magic, there’s no telling what would happen. You can see what kinds of consequences there are,” she said pointedly, gesturing out the windshield. “You’re going to have to go through.”

“What? Those things are huge! If they step on us…”

“So don’t let them step on us.” Regina sounded bored, but Annie knew better. She may not know the Evil Queen well, but she definitely knew the Mayor, and this was as close to encouragement as it got. Regina had faith that she could do this. She sat up straighter and gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Right. I can do this.”

She started off slowly, fighting the urge to close her eyes and duck her head as they approached the group of massive trees. Angling the car to fit between the first two trees, she squeaked when the ground shook as the first passed by. She jerked the wheel quickly to the right, narrowly avoiding another. They all cringed as the branches scraped the side of the jeep. Nobody spoke for the next few minutes, afraid to break Annie’s concentration. Annie was sure at any moment, they would be crushed, but then Henry pointed ahead. “We’re almost through. I can see where it ends.”

Sure enough, Annie saw freedom about five hundred feet ahead. She looked desperately for a clear path, but realized with a feeling of dread that there was none. They were boxed in. She saw only one way out; they were going to have to go under the trees. She quickly glanced at all of them to see if any stepped high enough for it to work; it would be close. She inched the car forward, choosing one and watching its steps carefully. As soon as it began its next stride, she moved up. The second it looked like they could fit through, she floored it. The tree hit the top of the car at the back, but they made it. Annie was shaking as she passed the ‘Leaving Storybrooke’ sign and pulled over. They all turned to watch the trees making their way toward town.

Annie unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door, looking at Regina. “Your turn to drive.”

* * *

Snow sat in a kitchen chair. She was restless, waiting for her family to return. Jiminy was asleep on the couch and Granny was on Snow’s bed, although Snow suspected she wasn’t asleep, either. She and Red had shown up not long after Snow had called, and Red had gone out to lend her skills in the search for Jefferson.

It had been a few hours now and Snow was fighting the urge to pace the floor. There had been no sign of her family and no call from Regina. She didn’t think she could take the waiting any longer. Pulling her cellphone out, she began dialing Emma’s number when she heard noises coming from the other side of the door. She tensed but then relaxed, hearing the telltale sign of a key in the door.

Granny appeared and Archie woke up as Emma, Red and Charming entered the apartment. Emma was holding a hat and a large case, but there was no Jefferson. Snow was also shocked to see that they were all disheveled. They had tears in their clothing and were covered in dirt, with bruises and small scrapes all over.

“What happened?” Snow pushed them all toward the kitchen and down into chairs, grabbing the first aid kit out of a drawer.

“Frickin’ trees,” Emma said. “I don’t know what the hell goes on in your world, but what just happened out there’s not natural.”

Snow gave James a questioning look as she pulled out some rubbing alcohol and a swab.

He shook his head, not really knowing what to make of it himself. “Someone must have been messing with magic, because a bunch of large trees from the forest just – shall we say, uprooted – and lumbered through town.”

“They came alive?” Archie asked.

“I wouldn’t say alive,” Red told them. “They didn’t really seem to have any purpose; they were just walking through town. Left a wake of destruction, though.”

“Not to mention, a few battered people. OW!” Emma flinched as Snow swabbed at a particularly nasty cut.

“Hold still, Emma. I’m almost finished. So what happened to them? Are they gone?”

“Kind of.” James brushed a hand through his hair. “The good news is, people stopped rioting. When they saw those trees coming, they all banded together to stop them. We managed to trip a bunch of them up, and once they hit the ground, they turned back into normal trees. It’s made quite a mess of the roads, but they’re all down now.”

“Good.” Snow put away the kit, now that everyone had been patched up. She glanced at the hat on the floor at Emma’s feet. “Did you find Jefferson?”

Emma stood up and headed for the living room. Her face looked strained.

“Nope,” Emma plopped herself down on the couch, kicking her legs up onto the coffee table and crossing her ankles. “He’s not out there. Any word from Regina yet?”

“Nothing.”

Snow expected Emma to be upset by the news but she simply nodded. “They probably went to Boston. We’ll hear from her when she gets there.”

“I just don’t understand it,” Red said. “Everything led straight to that hat and then nothing. The trail just ended.”

“You’ve got me,” Emma said. “There’s not a whole lot that makes sense right now.”

“Emma, there’s something else you should know,” Snow didn’t want to add to the burden of everything going on but there wasn’t going to be a better time. “Regina wants Rumpelstiltskin to be in on what’s happening. She said we need his help.”

Snow was surprised again when Emma simply sighed. “Fine.” She grabbed the hat off the floor, put it into the case and shoved it into a corner. “It’s been a long day. It’ll be a while before Regina calls, if I’m right.” She moved to the closet and pulled out a few pillows and blankets. “We could all use a little sleep. We’ll talk to Gold in the morning, and figure out everything else later.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, too tired to argue. Granny, Snow and Charming took the beds, while Archie returned to the couch and Red and Emma settled into a couple of chairs, propping their feet on the coffee table. It wasn’t long before everyone was asleep.

* * *

Regina had indeed chosen Boston as their destination. It was far enough away that she felt safe that no one would follow them, and it was large enough that if anyone did decide to follow, they’d have trouble tracking them down. Regina had counted all of their cash. With what she had on her, added to Snow’s and what Emma had stashed in the bag, they had enough to get them by for about a week. That would be enough. She didn’t want to stay away from Storybrooke any longer than she had to. They were going to have to find a hotel, and although Regina did not enjoy “slumming it,” they had little choice if they wanted to make the money last.

Before they reached the city, they made a quick stop for everything they’d need. Emma had put a couple of blankets in the bag which Henry and Grace were now using, along with the cash, a couple of snacks and a few bottles of water. They still needed actual food, toothbrushes and pajamas.

As they neared Boston, the city lights came into view and everyone except Regina glued themselves to the windows. Regina hid her own curiosity about the large city. Aside from Henry, no one in the car had ever been out of Storybrooke, and Fairytale Land certainly didn’t have anything to compare to this.

Fortunately, because of the lateness of the hour, there wasn’t too much traffic to navigate. It seemed the city still had a bustling night-life, however.

“You came here by yourself?” Grace asked Henry, looking impressed. Everyone in class had heard the rumors about Henry coming to Boston to find his mom.

“Yeah. It was no big deal. I took a bus, and then a taxi. It was easy.”

Regina glanced at Henry in the rearview mirror, bristling at the reminder that Henry had been the one to bring Emma to town, setting the downfall of the curse into motion. She was also painfully reminded of the panic she’d felt when she’d realized he’d run away. He, meanwhile, had been running around Boston, talking to his ‘real mom’ and not worrying about what anyone at home might be thinking. It had been one of the most painful and humiliating moments when Henry had said those words. “ _I found my real mom!_ ” Of course, it had only added insult to injury when she realized just exactly who Emma Swan was, and what her arrival in Storybrooke meant.

She was grateful to be brought out of those recollections by Annie, who was watching all of the people on the sidewalks and the lights everywhere. “It’s beautiful here. Everyone is so alive! Even at night.”

“And it’s so big,” Grace added. “How do people not get lost?”

“You didn’t get lost in the forest back in your world,” Henry told her. “You were born there so that’s what you grew up with. People here are used to cities.”

With that, they all went back to watching out the windows as they passed through downtown.

* * *

After driving around Boston for thirty minutes, Regina finally found a hotel with a vacancy. The sight made her cringe. It was a flat-front, two-story hotel with all of the doors to the rooms lined up on the outside.

They ended up with a room on the second floor. Regina made sure to bolt and lock the door. She also pulled the blinds shut. Aside from the view being hideous, she didn’t like the idea that just anyone walking to their room would be able to look in on them.

Everyone stayed silent as they took turns changing for bed and brushing their teeth. It was an awkward situation, made only slightly less uncomfortable by the fact that they were all too tired to really say anything, anyway. Annie and Grace automatically went for the same bed, neither of them eager to share with the Evil Queen. Despite the traumas of the day, it didn’t take long for them to drift off.

Regina waited until everyone was asleep to make her phone call. She drummed her fingers impatiently against her leg as she listened to the phone ring.

Finally, Emma picked up. “Hold on,” she whispered, and Regina frowned at being kept waiting.

“All right,” the voice was a little louder this time.

“Did you find him?”

“No.”

Regina’s world spun a little. “What?!” Henry turned over in his sleep so Regina lowered her voice and walked to the end of the room and faced the wall. “So you just gave up?” she hissed.

“ _No_ ,” Emma sounded extremely annoyed. “We looked everywhere. I’m telling you, he’s not here. All we could find was his hat.”

Regina’s blood ran cold. It was too late. Events had been set in motion and there was little she could do to stop them. “Was the case with it?” she asked hurriedly.

“Uhh…yes. Why?”

“Put it inside, quickly. That’ll hold him, buy us some time.”

“Ummm, Regina? You’re not making very much sense.”

“Ms. Swan! Just put the hat in the case!”

“It’s already in there.”

She exhaled slightly. “Did you talk to Rumpelstiltskin yet?”

“We’re doing that in the morning. Things are too crazy outside right now. We’re hoping they will have calmed down a bit by then.”

“Okay, call me in the morning when you’ve talked to him. Do not, under any circumstances, open that hat box.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll make sure it stays closed. What’s with the hat? Last time I met Jefferson, he was all insane over making the thing work. What does that even mean?”

“It doesn’t matter, Ms. Swan. Just do as I ask.”

“You know, I’m going to start wanting some answers soon.”

“I’ll give you answers when I feel you need to know them. Is that everything?”

“Wow, you really don’t change. Just one more thing.” There was a pause and Regina could hear the strain in the next words. “How’s Henry?”

She knew Emma must be suffering being away from him during such a dangerous time. Her face hardened. Now she’d know what it felt like. “He’s fine.” She hit the button to disconnect the call.

Regina nearly cried out when she turned around and Grace was standing directly in front of her.

She clutched her chest. “Grace, what are you doing? When did you wake up?”

Grace was doing her best to look intimidating but was failing miserably. The pajamas they’d purchased were far too long for her. She stood on the bottoms of the pant legs and the arms hung just below the tips of her fingers. It made her look even younger than she already did. In addition, she still had faint sleep lines from the pillow on her face. So, the glare she was giving Regina was having little effect.

“You better not hurt my papa.”

“I’m not going to hurt him, Grace, I just want to stop him from doing something stupid.”

“What _is_ he doing? You’re afraid of him, I can tell. That means it’s good! I was right. People are helping you do something bad. I shouldn’t have come with you!” Grace was growing louder and, afraid that she would wake up the others and she’d be bombarded with questions from everyone (something she did not have the energy for), she pulled Grace into the bathroom and shut the door. She pushed Grace down onto the edge of the tub and sat at the other end.

“Grace, I _promise_ you, I’m not doing something bad.” Grace continued to glare at her, and crossed her arms. Regina sighed. She didn’t have time for this. “I know you have no reason to trust me, so I’ll tell you something, but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone. Can you do that?”

Grace nodded after a minute.

“Your daddy and I, we used to be friends. I even knew your mom, Alice.”

Grace dropped her arms and leaned forward, her eyes growing wide. “You did?”

“Yes. I knew her long before you were born, but I know she loved you very much.”

Regina could tell she’d gained Grace’s trust with the mention of her mother. It had had exactly the effect that she’d wanted, so she continued. “There was an accident when your father was helping me.” It wasn’t the truth, but Regina had no trouble bending it to keep the little girl trusting her. “He’s not well now. But he made me promise that you’d never want for anything, and you haven’t, have you?”

Grace thought back to right after her father had disappeared. Arrangements had been made for her to live with her neighbors. The family had received a generous amount of money dropped on their doorstep along with the beautiful white rabbit that she’d seen at the market. The rabbit that had been carried over into this world as her favorite toy, a companion to the one her father had so lovingly made for her. “It was you! You gave me the rabbit! But how did you know?”

Regina smiled. “Your father told me.” The rabbit had been, in small part, a fulfillment of her promise to Jefferson. The larger part had been to serve as a reminder to him of exactly what he had given up and why.

“So how come he didn’t come to see me? He could have visited even though he was sick. He said he wanted to, and that he was looking for me.”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t have been safe for you. He’s still not safe, which is why you’re with me.”

“But what is he doing?”

“Something he’s not supposed to.” Regina was tired. It had been a never-ending day and the driving had taken the rest of it out of her. “Time for bed now, Grace. We can talk more later if you still want to.”

“Okay.” Grace yawned.

They both stood up and Regina was surprised when she felt Grace slip her hand into her own. She walked her to her bed and Grace climbed in. “Goodnight, Your Majesty.” She yawned again, closing her eyes. She was asleep immediately.

“Goodnight, Grace.”


	10. Chapter 10

Regina raced over the grounds of her family home. Jefferson and Alice were waiting for her under the apple tree.

“Are you free to come with us?” Alice asked.

“As long as we hurry! I just finished my lessons and I’m not expected for tea for a few more hours.” She looked down to see the hat box and grinned. “Where are we going today?”

“I don’t know,” Jefferson smiled at her. “It’s your turn to pick.”

“We should go deeper into the forest today before we start, just in case. Mother almost caught us last time. We really would’ve been in trouble if she’d seen us on our way out.”

“What did she say?” Alice asked.

Regina put her hands on her hips and did her best Cora impression. “Really, Regina, the forest is no place for young ladies. You’ll rip your dress. I don’t want to see you with those other children. Your studies are much too important; there is no time for fun. Young ladies must always be boring!”

They all fell into a fit of laughter.

“You made that last part up,” Alice said when she could breathe again.

“Yeah, but she might as well say it. She never lets me do anything fun.”

“Well, that’s what we’re here for.” Jefferson bowed deeply. “Your trouble-making, fun-having services, milady.”

Alice smacked him playfully on the head. “Come on, goofball, we’re wasting time.”

“After you.” He gestured for them to lead the way and Regina and Alice linked arms, heading toward the forest with Jefferson not far behind.

When they thought they’d gone far enough in, they stopped and watched as Jefferson pulled out the hat.

“How come the hat only works for you?” Alice wondered.

“There used to be a world of people who could travel without any help. They gave certain people the hats that allowed them the power as well. Several different families possess them. Only people in my bloodline can control this particular hat.”

“I remember the travelers,” Regina said. “But nobody’s talked about them in years.”

“That’s because they all disappeared. They used to do the same thing my father does; travel to other worlds, keeping the peace and maintaining order. One day, they stopped showing up for their monthly rounds and no one knows how to find their world or contact them.”

“They’re the people who brought me here,” Alice added.

“But I thought you came from a world without magic?” Regina looked at her curiously. “Travelers aren’t allowed to interfere with non-magical worlds. I thought they stayed hidden when they visited them. People from your world only end up here by accident.”

Alice nodded. “It _was_ an accident. I fell through a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland. They took really good care of me until the traveler’s next visit. I was supposed to be sent back, but I came from an orphanage. There wasn’t much of a life for me in my world. They were very kind; instead of making me go back, they sent me here to live with their friends.”

“So that’s how you ended up with Jefferson’s family?"

Alice smiled and nodded.

“Someday, I’ll take over my father’s job,” Jefferson said proudly. “It’s a very honored position.” He seemed very serious for a moment, but then he broke into a grin. “For now, it’s not my job, so we can use it for fun. Just don’t tell my dad.” They all laughed. “Shall we?” he asked, looking between his two friends.

“Together,” Regina said, and they all clasped hands.

By this time, they were all very familiar with the falling sensation. They landed gracefully in the Hall of Doors.

Regina began to walk around the circular room, studying each door, deciding which would be the one to open today. She carefully avoided the large, black, double doors, remembering her first visit to this place years ago.

_“Wow,” Regina said, looking around in amazement. “All of these lead to other worlds?”_

_“Yep.” Jefferson smiled. “I’ve never brought anyone here before.”_

_“You haven’t?”_

_“No. Other people aren’t even supposed to know the hat exists.”_

_“So why’d you bring me?”_

_“Because,” he said, shrugging. “You’re my best friend.” He grinned at her. “Besides, it’s no fun to come here by myself.”_

_“So how do we choose which place to go?”_

_“We can go anywhere,” he told her. “Except there.” He pointed at a set of black doors._

_Regina moved closer to them. They were elegant, but plain. Solid black with tarnished gold handles. As she moved closer, a wave of cold air washed over her and she shivered. “What’s behind these doors?”_

_“My dad won’t tell me. He says I’m too young. All I know is that, whatever’s behind those doors, it’s bad. Really bad. It’s forbidden for anyone except the travelers to go there.”_

_“Are there any other rules?”_

_“Only two. No traveling to non-magical worlds unless it’s for business, and the same number of people who go through, have to come back. So we have to stick together.”_

_“Easy enough.”_

_“Which world would you like to go to?”_

_“You pick. Show me your favorite one.”_

_“Follow me,” he said, heading off to a red door._

_Regina couldn’t help but look over her shoulder at the black doors as she walked away. What kind of world could be so horrible?_

* * *

When Emma opened her eyes, daylight filtered through the windows. She realized she was the last one up and she’d been awakened by the sound of bowls clattering. Everyone was eating breakfast.

“Oh good, you’re up,” Snow noticed. She handed her a bowl of cereal. “What did Regina say?”

“Nothing, really. She said ‘Keep the hat in the case, talk to Rumpelstiltskin and Henry’s fine.’ Not very talkative. How’s it going outside?”

Charming looked up from his spot at the table. “It’s pretty calm. I went out this morning and almost everyone has gone home. The fires have mostly burned themselves out. It’s not as bad as it looked last night in the dark, although all of the trees are blocking the road. It’s still early, but I think people have calmed down quite a bit.”

“Good. That’ll make things a lot easier. Where do you think I’d find Gold now that the curse is broken?” Emma wanted to get an early start on everything they needed to do.

“He’s probably at his house,” Snow told her.

“Really? I thought he’d be off in some hiding spot, plotting his next move.”

“Emma, things have been really confusing for all of us. We remember who we are, but we also retain all our memories of who we were here in Storybrooke. This has been our home for the last twenty-eight years. Even though this is not our world, most people will stay with what’s familiar. They’re not going to go wandering off.”

Emma looked around at everyone. They were all focusing extra hard on their bowls of cereal. She tried to imagine what it would be like to have two sets of memories in her head, but couldn’t. It would be terrible.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t even think—”

“It’s alright.” Snow hadn’t meant to make her feel guilty. “What matters is that we remember who we are.”

Emma set her bowl down, having finished. “I think it’s time I talked to Gold.”

Charming stood up. “We’ll come with you.”

“No, this is something that would go better if I was alone. Besides, I think you should start talking to all the residents, make sure they’re all calming down. Regina can’t come back until we’re sure they’re not going to try to kill her again.”

“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing with her?” Granny asked sternly. “You don’t know her like we do. She’s killed many without mercy. She destroys lives, families…she has no soul.”

Emma looked around the room sharply. “No one should be here if they’re not willing to help Regina get back. I get that she did bad stuff. She’s evil, I know, but I also know that she raised my son for ten years when I wouldn’t.” She almost choked on the words but they were true. “She loves him and he loves her back. I’ll protect her for Henry. As long as he’s around, I don’t think she would do anything to jeopardize having him in her life. We’ll deal with the past later.” It felt strange to be defending Regina, especially against words she had said to the mayor herself not long ago. She made eye contact with everyone in the room. “From here on out, we only focus on bringing her back, not _if_ we should. Is that understood?” Emma tried to use some of her sheriff’s bravado to sound more confident. She felt uncomfortable bossing around people who had been through more together than she could possibly imagine, but if they had any hope of bringing Regina back and breaking the rest of the curse, there could be no doubts.

Everyone looked down in shame. Except for Snow; there was strength and warmth in her eyes. And…pride.

Emma looked away after a moment, slightly uncomfortable. When she looked up again, she saw that everyone was nodding their agreement.

“Alright, then,” Granny said. “What are we doing just standing around? We’ve got jobs to do.”

They all smiled now that the awkwardness had cleared. They walked outside as a group, but parted as Emma crawled into her sheriff’s car and they continued on foot.

Fortunately, the way she was going, the streets were clear, so it only took a few minutes for Emma to reach Gold’s house. She moved slowly up the walkway, preparing what she was going to say.

She was speechless when the door was opened, not by Gold, but by a young brunette woman.

“Ummm, hello…I’m sorry. I was looking for Mr. Gold?”

The door opened further to reveal Mr. Gold stepping up behind the woman. “Ahhh…Ms. Swan. What brings you here?”

“We need to talk.”

“Yes, I suppose we do. Come on in, then.”

Emma stepped inside, closed the door and followed the two into the kitchen.

They stood there for a moment, looking at each other. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” The young woman asked.

“Of course. Where are my manners?” Gold gestured to Emma. “This is Emma Swan, Sheriff of Storybrooke. And this,” he said, placing his hands on the woman’s shoulders, “is Belle.”

“Lovely to meet you.” Belle curtsied.

“Wait, Belle? Like ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Belle?”

“I hardly appreciate being called a beast, Ms. Swan, but that is correct.”

“Right,” Emma said uncomfortably. “Sorry. I haven’t seen you around town, Belle.”

“I haven’t exactly been out in the public during our stay here,” Belle explained.

A look of realization dawned on Emma’s face. She looked at Gold. “This is chipped-tea-cup-girl. Whoa! But you said her father killed her.”

Gold looked extremely annoyed. “Yes, Ms. Swan. I was wrong. Now, did you come for something other than to stomp through our delicate pasts like an elephant in a china shop? If not, I would ask that you kindly leave.”

Emma looked embarrassed. “Sorry. Yeah, actually, I came for something kind of important. Can we sit?”

“Of course.”

When they were all seated around the table, Emma started. “There’s a bit of a problem with Jefferson, and Regina needs your help.”

“My help?” His eyes darkened and he looked angry. “Well, that’s interesting. However, I don’t think I’ll be caring about her problems. Anything he does, she has coming to her. You can tell her that’s my reply.” He started to stand.

“It sounds a bit more urgent than that.”

“What could be urgent enough that she would dare ask for my help?”

“I’m not sure exactly; she hasn’t told me specifics, but it has something to do with destroying this world.”

That seemed to get his attention. He sat back down. “What exactly is she proposing?”

“She says if you help her with this problem, she’ll help you with yours. I’m not sure what she meant  by—”

“It doesn’t matter Ms. Swan – I know what she’s talking about. Tell her I’ll help. However, I want to speak with her in person.”

“She thought you might, but it’s going to have to wait.”

“Oh?”

“She’s not in town.”

“It doesn’t sound like her to run away,” Gold looked suspicious.

“I made her go.”

“Uh-huh. I’m sorry Ms. Swan, but I don’t see her Majesty leaving town because _you_ asked nicely.”

“I told her to take Henry and protect him.”

“Ahh…now we get to the truth. I’m surprised you let your boy out of your sight.”

“It wasn’t safe with everyone rioting last night.”

“But leaving him with Regina; are you sure that was wise? Did anyone else leave town with them?”

Emma thought about Grace and Annie. It didn’t seem like a good idea to involve them so she simply said, “Just a couple of scared kids that came to Mary-Margaret for help.”

“I see. Well, the moment she’s back, I want to speak with her.”

“I’ll tell her.” Emma stood up. She’d been in his presence long enough and she wanted to see how the others were doing with the town.

Gold walked her to the door.

“Ms. Swan, I would ask that you please not mention Belle to anyone.”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “Why not?”

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t.”

“Would you consider it a favor?”

It was Gold’s turn to narrow his eyes. “I don’t know that I would go that far, Ms. Swan.” He stared at her and she fought the urge to shiver.

“Yeah, okay, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you.”

He shut the door behind her and she headed toward town. She’d accomplished her mission…kind of. She’d have to avoid Gold in the future. He seemed like the kind of person you didn’t want to anger and that seemed to be something she was especially good at.

She hadn’t gone far when she saw something that almost made her veer off the road. She pulled over and stepped out. Staring at the figure walking away from her a short distance away, she thought she’d just imagined who this was. But no, that definitely looked like him.

“August?!”

The man turned; it _was_ him!

“Emma!”

She walked quickly up the street and threw her arms around him.

“You’re alive; you’re okay!” Emma had tears of relief in her eyes and she shut them tightly. “I’m so glad to see you.”

She pulled back and did something neither of them was expecting. She kissed him.

When they pulled apart, August smiled. “I’m glad to see you, too.”

They laughed nervously.

“You broke the curse,” August said proudly. “I knew you could do it.”

“Not without you and Henry.”

“Where is Henry?”

“ _That_ is a long story,” Emma said, tiredly. “Come on; I’ll tell you in the car.”


	11. Chapter 11

August was a godsend. He patiently listened to Emma’s story without any outbursts or objections. When she finished, she glanced at him. “So?”

“So what?”

“Aren’t you going to tell me what a stupid decision I made and how I don’t really know what I’m dealing with?” She parked the car when they reached the center of town, where everyone was gathered.

“I think you know more than people give you credit for. You may not have grown up in our world, but you’re intuitive. You know what you’re doing.”

He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Emma stood and rested her arm on top of her open door. She smiled and looked at him. “I think you have more confidence in me than I do.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t make it any less true.” He headed toward the gathered crowd, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”

Emma shook her head in bemusement and shut her car door. She jogged to catch up to him, and they joined the mass of people.

People in the town had been greatly calmed by their King and Queen’s presence. Emma was happy to hear that thoughts of killing Regina had all but vanished. There was still a call for justice, but it no longer involved blood-thirst.

Emma and August had come in on the tail end of the discussion. With talk of the Evil Queen done for now, everyone got to work cleaning up the town. The crowd began to disperse and Snow saw the two of them approaching her.

“August, I’m so glad to see you’re alright.” She embraced him and James stepped forward to shake his hand.

“I want to thank you for everything you’ve done.”

August shook his head. “I didn’t do what I should have.”

“But you did what you could,” James told him.

“So, what’s the plan?” Emma asked.

Snow looked at her daughter once again. “We’re going to start cleaning everything up but afterward, some of us are going back to the apartment for a meeting; the other royals, the seven dwarfs, the Blue Fairy, and of course, Red, Granny and Jiminy. August, you should come, too.”

August nodded.

They spent the next few hours cleaning up the town. It took large groups to remove the trees from the streets. They also had to right several vehicles that had been overturned in the rioting. Leroy and his reunited group set to work restoring the power.

By the time the sun had begun to set, things were looking much better. There were still windows that needed to be replaced, but all of the broken glass had been swept up and boards had been placed over all of the openings. Everyone headed home and all of the royals headed back to Snow and Emma’s apartment.

Upon arrival, Emma learned that the ‘other royals’ were Ashley, Sean, Kathryn and a man she recognized as the gym teacher at Henry’s school. Well, he wasn’t actually royal, but he seemed to be with Kathryn, so it worked. Emma was still struggling to learn people’s real identities, but for the most part, she continued using their Storybrooke aliases. Calling people things like Cinderella was a little too weird for her.

Everyone seemed so different now that they had their memories back, but Emma couldn’t help noticing there was a little awkwardness in the air.

Kathryn and David had chosen to keep some distance between them while Kathryn and Mary-Margaret avoided eye contact altogether. Grumpy sat in a corner looking morose. Emma knew this was largely due to the fact that he had unintentionally incited a bloodthirsty witch-hunt, but she also noticed the guilty glances he kept giving the other dwarfs. It seemed like their Storybrooke lives were definitely leaving some lasting impressions.

She turned her attention to the conversation taking place, which seemed to be about Jefferson.

“Does anyone actually _know_ Jefferson?” the Blue Fairy asked. Emma was happy to see she’d changed out of the nun’s uniform into something more colorful. Nuns had made Emma uncomfortable ever since she’d spent some time in their care as a child.

People looked at each other for answers but they all had to nod when Snow said, “I only know what I’ve learned about him in Storybrooke, which isn’t much. I do know that he had a daughter named Grace.”

“But, I thought he was the one who lived alone in that great big mansion?” Frederick looked confused.

“He didn’t have a daughter here in Storybrooke. She’s from your world,” Emma told them all.

“That poor man,” the Blue Fairy said. “The Queen must have separated them. He seemed so quiet and gentle.”

“He was crazy!” Snow said. “He tried to kill me and Emma.”

Everyone gasped.

“He definitely isn’t sane,” Emma said. “But I don’t know that he would’ve killed us. He just wanted his daughter back.”

“You mean, he remembered he had a daughter?” Kathryn wondered.

“He remembered everything. Regina never replaced his identity.”

People sat around in silence, some looking horrified at this level of cruelty.

“Every time I think that woman can’t do anything worse, she does it,” the Blue Fairy looked shocked and angry. “Where’s the girl now? Did her father take her with him?”

“Not…exactly…” Emma started. She looked to Mary-Margaret for help. The news would be better coming from their Queen.

“He scared the poor girl. She came running to me. It wasn’t safe last night for children so we…sent her with Regina.”

Everyone looked appalled. “How could you?” Kathryn asked.

“Hey!” Emma interjected. “Let’s not forget why we’re all here. The man’s hell-bent on destroying the world; not exactly what I’d call a fit parent. Regina’s planning on stopping him. She lives here too, after all – she’s got just as much at stake. I sent Henry with her. I wouldn’t have done that if I wasn’t sure she would protect him and come back when it was time. Hell, she didn’t even want to go in the first place. She wanted to find Jefferson herself. I had to _make_ her leave. Trust me, Grace will be fine.”

“How do we know she won’t just use Grace as a bargaining chip?” one of the dwarfs asked. She guessed Sneezy, based on the wad of tissues he was holding.

Emma sighed, exhausted from defending Regina. “We don’t, I guess. But Grace is safe for now, which is all that matters for the moment.”

“You are too trusting,” the Blue Fairy started in. “You don’t know her true self—”

“She knows.” Snow cut her off. She didn’t like having to be rude but she could see the exhaustion on her daughter’s face and having to repeat herself so often was taking its toll. “We need to move on, decisions need to be made. It will be time for Regina to return soon and like it or not, we will all temporarily be on the same side. Which brings me to the next difficult topic: Rumpelstiltskin.”

Snow couldn’t continue because everyone in the room had burst into loud conversation over how to deal with the man.

“Stop!” she yelled out again. The voices eventually died down and Snow frowned. “Believe me when I say I hate this as much as all of you, but it is necessary. If we’re to save this world, Rumpelstiltskin must help us.” She raised her hands to keep the noise down as she continued, “Something he has already agreed to do.”

Ashley stood, “Snow, you and I know – better than anyone – that we could _never_ trust that man. We locked him up for a reason.” She hung her head and shook it a few times. When she looked back up, there was sadness and anger in her eyes. “You want us to fight alongside that _thing_ and the evil woman who let him out of his cage? I’m not sure I can do that.”

“Then you have to ask yourselves, _all_ of you; are you willing to live with the consequences if you don’t? _If_ you live at all. Without Regina, we have no hope of returning to our world, and if we don’t help her and Rumpelstiltskin, and Jefferson _succeeds?_ Then  we won’t exist in this one either.” Snow let that sink in for a moment. “I know that I’m asking a lot but you are all my dear friends. I want you by my side during this fight. Can I depend on you?”

“I’ll stand with you, Snow,” Grumpy said.

“So will we,” all the dwarfs agreed.

“You know we’re with you,” Red said, and Granny and Archie nodded.

“I’ll gather the other fairies,” the Blue Fairy said.

Ashley and her husband stood together. “We’ll fight for our daughter.”

“Just tell us what you need us to do,” Kathryn said.

Snow sighed in relief. “Alright, now that everyone’s on board, there’s only one thing we can do at the moment; spread the word. We’ll need as many people as we can get. We won’t be able to form a solid plan until Regina comes back. We’ll call her when we know people are willing to help or stay out of the way. Thank you all.”

Everyone stopped to hug Snow and shake Charming’s hand on their way out. When the last of them had left and Snow closed the door, Emma turned to her.

“Way to go Mary-Margaret! That was some speech. Powerful stuff; you really know what you’re doing with the whole ‘Queen of the people’ thing. I’m seriously impressed!”

“Thanks,” Snow said sheepishly. “I just hope we can convince all the others.”

“You will,” August told her confidently. “Everyone knows that you have their best interests at heart.”

Snow patted his arm. “I do.” She sighed. “I’m just worried that I’m leading them down the wrong path. I know Regina cares about Henry, but that doesn’t mean she’s telling the truth about everything else. I don’t trust her, and until she tells us why she’s helping us, I won’t trust my decisions, either.”

“But you just said she’s helping because of Henry,” August pointed out.

She shook her head. “That might be part of it, but I sense there’s a lot more to it than that. She’s hiding something.”

They all stood in contemplative silence for a minute before Emma cleared her throat.

“Well, I promised Regina an update and it’s getting late so I should get it over with.”

“Have fun,” Snow said.

“Talking to Regina? How could I not?”

Snow laughed as Emma disappeared down the hallway.

* * *

“Come on, darling.” The beautiful woman held her hand out, smiling.

The girl took it willingly. “Where are we going, Mommy?”

“To a world so wonderful, they call it Wonderland.”

“It’s one of my favorites; you’ll love it!” The deep voice belonged to her father and she smiled as he stepped in to take her other hand. They enjoyed taking their daughter on the monthly check-ins with the other worlds. It was their job to maintain peace and order, but it came with its perks.

Her parents swung her up in the air and she giggled in delight.

“Higher, higher!”

They only stopped when they reached the mirror. When they stepped through, the girl looked around in amazement. She only had a moment to take in the vivid colors, tall grass, and giant floating islands before she was thrust into darkness. Someone had pulled something over her head.

“Porter, Adelle, how kind of you to join us. We’ve been waiting for you.” The voice was cruel. “Guards, what about—”

“Already captured, Your Majesty.”

“Perfect.”

The girl couldn’t see but she heard her mother’s voice. “Inari? What’s going on? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you mean because my sisters and I were banished all those years ago, forced to live in shame in other worlds? I’ll tell you what’s going on. There’s been a change of power.”

“Where _are_ your parents?” her father’s voice calmed the young girl, smooth and cool under pressure.

“They’re dead, killed two nights ago.”

“By you.” Porter was not asking; his voice sounded sure.

“Yes.”

“But why?” Adelle sounded grief-stricken.

“My parents lacked vision. They did not see Wonderland’s potential.”

“And what of your sisters?”

“They helped me, of course. You’ll never find four as like-minded as we; of course…not like-minded enough for them to see me as the ruler I was born to be. I sent them right back to where they belonged – where my parents sent them. No, the time for weakness is over. This is the era of the Queen of Diamonds. That is where you come in. Everyone in Wonderland shall bow to me, and with your help, so will the people of other worlds.”

“Surely you can’t mean—” Adelle started but the queen cut her off.

“Yes. Your ability to travel between worlds without aid. It is a powerful gift.”

“One we cannot share,” Porter said firmly.

“We’ll see about that. GUARDS! Take our prisoners to the throne room!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The girl was scared as she felt herself being thrown over someone’s shoulder and carried away. She called out to her parents but there was no answer.

After a while, she was finally set down and whatever had been thrown over her head was removed.

She looked around and she saw that the “throne room” was actually a courtyard. There were people lined up on both sides of her and a beautiful black-haired woman sat on a throne above them. The girl noticed everything in the courtyard had been cut into the shape of diamonds. She turned to watch as more guards entered, carrying her parents.

“Now,” Inari said, settling herself in her throne. “Give me the powers to unlock the worlds.”

“Never.” Her mother sounded defiant.

The queen slowly stood from her place. The girl watched, almost hypnotized with the woman’s grace. She seemed to float down the steps and her long red dress trailed elegantly behind her. There was a fantastic glitter of diamonds at her throat and on her crown. She didn’t stop until she was standing directly in front of the girl’s parents. She reached her hands out and placed them on either side of Porter’s head, and closed her eyes.

After a moment, she made a sound of frustration. She quickly composed herself. “Strong barriers you’ve put up. I’m impressed. Perhaps _you_ ,” she turned to Adelle and repeated the action. She must have failed again, because she spun angrily on her heel and strode up to her throne.

“I will give you one last chance to tell me how to unlock your powers. Think of your little girl,” she said, gesturing to the child. “What will she do, growing up without parents?”

The girl’s parents looked grief-stricken. They couldn’t leave their daughter alone in this terrible world, growing without their guidance and love. But the threat of this woman being able to pass through all of the worlds without barriers was too great.

“We were born into a small world, but given heavy responsibility,” Porter spoke. “We have taken a sacred oath. These powers are not given lightly. We cannot share them with you.”

The girl looked at her parents in fear, tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t understand what was happening.

“Pity, the powers would have added greatly to my position as Queen. I suppose I’ll just have to think up something else.” She turned to her guards. “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!”

Everyone watched as the guards scrambled to fetch the executioner, but the couple kept their eyes on their daughter, deep sorrow on their faces.

As the girl saw them through her tears, they strained to smile and she blinked as their voices suddenly filled her head.

‘ _The power will now fall to you._ ’ It was her father. As he spoke, she could feel something powerful and warm, like sunshine, spreading from her toes to the top of her head and through her fingertips. It tingled, then was gone. ‘ _I’m sorry we won’t be able to train you, or see you grow into the beautiful woman we know you’ll become._ ’

The executioner approached, his axe at the ready.

‘ _Always remember_ ,’ came the soft voice of her mother. ‘ _We love you. Close your eyes, now. Don’t watch_.’

The girl closed her eyes tightly, sobbing, those sobs quickly turning to screams of terror.

Annie woke up in the hotel room, still screaming.


	12. Chapter 12

Regina was sitting up in bed, watching Henry sleep. She’d been awakened by the same nightmare as the night before. The whole town was tying her to a tree and they were going to kill her. Everyone was cheering for her death, including Henry. When she’d sat up in bad this time, it had taken her a minute to remember where she was. She’d looked down to see Henry asleep next to her and had immediately relaxed. Henry knew who she was and he still loved her. He didn’t want to kill her.

Upon closer inspection, however, Henry was not sleeping well, either. His face was scrunched up and an occasional whimper escaped his mouth. She reached down to smooth his hair and was about to wake him from his apparent bad dream when a bloodcurdling-scream filled the room.

Regina jumped out of bed and flicked the light on. Annie was curled on the bed, screaming in terror, sobbing, and somehow – still asleep. Grace had jumped out of bed as well and was staring at her, frightened by the bizarre sight.

Henry looked up at Regina. “Mom, do something!”

Regina hurried to the bedside. Surely by this point, all the guests in the hotel had heard her. She placed a hand on Annie’s shoulder and shook her. “Annie. Annie! Wake up!”

The girl’s eyes popped open but it took her a minute to stop screaming. Even then, the sobbing continued. They were deep, horrible, shuddering sobs and her eyes looked unfocused, as if she still wasn’t aware of her surroundings.

There was a pounding on the door, and a man’s booming voice came through. “It’s the manager. Open up! I’ll call the police if you don’t open this door right now!”

Regina walked across the room, slid the lock out of place and swung the door open.

“What’s goin’ on in there? The screamin’ woke everyone up. He poked his head in the door, hearing Annie, and saw the girl curled tragically on the bed. “Hey, is she okay?”

“No,” Regina told him. She looked down for a minute, trying to think up a believable story to tell the man so he would leave.

She didn’t have to. Henry stepped forward, his eyes growing watery and he looked up at the man with such a pained expression that Regina placed a hand on his back to comfort him. “Our father just died,” Henry choked out. “My sister was having a really bad dream about it.” He used his arm to wipe a tear that had fallen.

Regina couldn’t believe how easily Henry had lied to the man, but it was working so she started brushing back her son’s hair gently with her fingers and looked up at the man, putting on her own grieved face. “I’m sorry. We just can’t stay in our house right now.” She lowered her voice to a pained whisper. “Too many memories.”

The manager looked sympathetic. “Geez. That’s terrible, I’m sorry. Just–try to keep it down, I guess,” he said sheepishly, not knowing how to respond.

“We will. I’m terribly sorry to have disturbed everyone.”

“That’s alright. Well, goodnight.”

Regina shut the door and leaned against it, relieved to have that over with.

“Mom,” Henry looked up at her, pointing at Annie, a slightly scolding expression on his face. “You can’t leave her like that. You have to do something.”

Regina moved back to Annie’s side, not sure what she was supposed to do. “Annie?” The girl gave no indication that she’d heard her name. Regina bent down so she was nearly eye level with her. “Annie, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?”

Annie continued to cry, but the noise softened a little as her eyes focused on Regina. Awareness suddenly clicked in and her hand shot out and latched onto Regina’s arm. Regina sat up on the side of the bed.

“What were you dreaming about?” Regina asked curiously. She wondered what could possibly cause the girl to scream that way. Surely she’d never done anything so terrible to her.

Annie shook her head violently.

“Okay, well if you don’t want to tell us, we should all probably be getting back to bed.” Regina moved to get up, but Annie only tightened her grip on Regina’s arm.

“Please don’t leave me,” Annie whispered. “Please?”

“I’m not going to stay here all night.”

“Mom,” Henry whined. “She had a really bad dream. Can’t you just stay with her like you used to with me?”

Regina exhaled. The situation annoyed her, but she didn’t seem to have much choice.

“Alright,” she told Annie. “Move over. I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

Annie looked relieved and moved to the other side of the bed. Regina sat on top of the sheets, propping the pillow up behind her.

“What about you Henry?” She turned her attention to her son. “Want to tell me what you were dreaming about?”

Henry shuffled his feet a bit. “It doesn’t matter.” He almost sounded guilty.

“Sure it does. Tell me.”

“Mom. Can we please not talk about it?”

Regina frowned at his answer. What had _he_ been dreaming? Was it about her? His unwillingness to tell her made her think it was. But she didn’t want to upset him so she nodded her head. “Okay. We won’t talk about it.”

He crawled up onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. “I love you, mom,” he said.

She kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back. “I love you, too.”

She looked up to see Grace standing at the foot of the bed. “I don’t want to sleep by myself,” she said quietly.

Regina nodded her head to the side and Grace crawled carefully between her and Annie. She glanced up at Regina. “Thank you,” she said before turning to face Annie. “It’s okay,” she spoke softly to the older girl. “I have bad dreams, too.”

Regina thought of how absurd this all was. They’d left town because of an angry riot started by people wanting revenge for all of the destruction and pain she’d caused everyone over the years; and now here she was, comforting three children. She held Henry close, still rubbing circles on his back, waiting for everyone to fall asleep. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Emma was pacing outside the doors of city hall. The people of the town had come together to officially discuss whether or not they would work with Regina and Rumpelstiltskin. They’d been in there for an hour and still hadn’t made a decision. Emma had only been able to take it for fifteen minutes. This would be the third day that Regina had been gone and she was anxious to see Henry again.

“Hey,” she heard from behind her. She turned to see August slipping out the door.

“How’s it going in there?” Emma asked, putting a hand on her hip. She had a lot of nervous energy, and without the pacing, it was starting to build up.

“They’re almost done; things are winding down. It’s going to happen.” He smiled. “Everyone is agreeing, so you’ll be able to call Regina today.”

Emma nodded and ran both hands through her hair. “Is this the right thing to be doing?” she asked August, clasping her hands behind her neck and looking up at the sky. She sighed and dropped her hands to her sides, looking at him. “I’m sorry. I keep asking that, don’t I?”

“Yes.” August chuckled. “But it’s okay.” He reached for one of her hands and gave it a quick squeeze before dropping it again. “Just focus on Henry. This means you’ll get to see him soon.”

“You’re right.” She turned around and flung her arms out slightly with the next words. “You’re right! Man, I can’t wait for this all to be over. I feel like I haven’t slept in weeks. All this crap keeps happening.” She turned around, a slight smile on her face, and let out a small laugh.

“What?” August asked her.

“This whole fairytale thing.” She laughed a little more. “They’re real, and I broke the curse. It’s all just…really…. _weird_.”

August looked at her, his head to the side, thinking. “How about we take a break?”

“A break?”

“Yeah. Get away from all of this. We can take a ride and just be out in the world for a little while.”

“What, _now_?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, come on. Unless you want to stay here pacing.” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Alright,” she said narrowing her eyes. “But I get to pick where we go this time.”

“Deal.”

* * *

Regina woke up and immediately felt the aches that accompany falling asleep sitting in an upright position. She frowned, noticing Annie was no longer in the bed, but then heard the shower running. Henry was still snuggled against her, and Grace had rolled over, sprawling out in Annie’s absence. Regina carefully extracted herself and tucked the blanket up around Henry’s shoulders.

It was nine o’clock in the morning. Regina didn’t think she’d slept in this late in years. She heard the shower shut off, and a few minutes later, the door opened.

Annie appeared, freshly dressed, hair still wet, with an empty expression. She didn’t look at Regina and didn’t say anything. She just grabbed her toothbrush and headed back to the bathroom.

Regina went to wash her face, but paused in the door when she saw that Annie wasn’t actually brushing her teeth. The toothbrush lay forgotten on the counter and Annie was staring into the mirror. There was a haunted expression on her face and she looked as if she were searching for something in her reflection. This was an expression Regina knew very well. It was one she’d seen in her own reflection many times, when her thoughts turned inward and she searched for something deep down. There was always the hope that something in the mirror would reveal something she couldn’t see otherwise. It was a compromising expression that the genie had caught on her face a few too many times for her liking.

“It was my parents,” Annie said suddenly, her eyes never leaving the mirror.

“What?” Regina asked.

“My dream. It was about my parents. They were killed when I was very young.” She looked frustrated and angry. “At least, I _think_ they were.”

“I don’t understand,” Regina said carefully.

Annie whirled around, tears shining in her eyes. “I can’t remember! No matter how hard I try, I don’t remember them. Last night, I dreamed about their death. I know it was a memory, I can feel it, but the second I woke up, I couldn’t even remember what they looked like.” Her face was pained. “They gave up _so_ much for me, and I can’t remember them!”

Regina stood still, not sure what to say. The dream must have been convincingly real and extremely traumatic for Annie to have had such a strong reaction.

“Have you had the dream before?”

Annie shook her head dazedly. “I don’t remember. I know I’ve dreamed about my parents before, but I don’t remember any of the dreams specifically. I don’t even really remember last night’s.” She closed her eyes tightly, trying to recall any detail. “I just know that they died. And that…” She focused really hard. “They…they gave me something? Something important, I think.”

“You don’t remember _any_ of your dreams?” Regina asked interestedly. She wondered if there could be more to Annie’s past. Perhaps it was her healing power that her parents had given her. Knowing more about its origins could be helpful in the future.

Annie opened her eyes. “No.”

“It sounds like this could be the work of a memory spell. Do you remember when you started living with Elise? You said you’d been in that tower for as long as you could remember.”

“I have. I don’t remember ever having been anywhere else.” She looked desperately at Regina. “You really think it’s a memory spell? Like someone _made_ me forget?”

“It certainly sounds like it.”

“Well, is there anything you could do?” She looked hopefully at Regina.

“No.” Annie’s face fell. “Even if we were in our own world, where we could use magic, memory spells are dangerous. If we didn’t know exactly which one was used, and how to reverse it properly, we could permanently damage your memory.”

Annie’s expression looked far away. “I wonder what I’m forgetting or how many years I lived a life before the tower.” Her focus snapped back to the present. “I’m gonna take a short walk, get some fresh air. Is that okay?”

Regina hesitated and then nodded briskly. “Don’t go past the parking lot.”

“I won’t,” Annie promised. She moved past Regina, who watched her walk to the door. Annie opened it and took a step. “Your Majesty?” she asked quietly. The door was open and she didn’t want anyone to hear. She also didn’t want to wake Henry or Grace.

Regina raised an eyebrow as indication for the girl to continue.

“People are wrong about you. You’re not evil.” She hurriedly pulled the door shut behind her before Regina had a chance to respond.

* * *

Jefferson once again found himself in the circular room filled with doors. The mirror was clean and shining, seeming to mock him. All of the time he had spent trapped in this world, and now here he was about to re-enter it willingly. He took a breath and stepped through.

He’d expected Wonderland to be abandoned. Devoid of people, everyone having been ripped away from their lives by the Queen’s curse. But it wasn’t. He realized with annoyance that Regina had only brought the people of _their_ world. She’d somehow bent the rules to bring him – and only him – from _this_ world along with them.

Guards appeared and he raised his arms in surrender. “I need to see the Queen,” he told them. The Queen’s right-hand man looked at him oddly but then nodded his head. The guards went to grab his arms but he shook them off. “I’ll take myself, thank you. I came here on my own, after all.” The guards looked to their leader who again nodded his head.

Jefferson spent the walk steeling himself for what was to come. He hated the Queen of Hearts more than almost anyone. But not more than he hated Regina. That was what had brought him back to this horrible land. The Queen of Hearts may be crazy, but she was also very powerful and possessed exactly what he needed to defeat Regina, and destroy the terrible world that she had trapped them all in.

He looked up when they drew near the throne. “Your Majesty,” he said, bowing to show respect. He fought back the urge to run up the stairs and choke the woman to death; unfortunately, he needed her. “I wish to speak with you. Alone.”

The Queen’s page ran quickly up the steps to her side and leaned down as she spoke to him.

“The Queen does not give private audience to anyone. _Especially_ escaped prisoners. She wonders how you managed to leave Wonderland. You must have the hat working again.”

“Yes, it works, but that’s not how I managed to escape.  I was taken by the same woman who left me here all those years ago.”

There were several rushed whispered words and the page looked up. “You mean Regina? For what purpose would she help you escape?”

“She did not help me, Your Majesty. I was taken by a curse to another world, a cruel world. And that is why I have come to you. I want your help to destroy it.”

The Queen stood up and waved her arms, and everyone filed out. When the very last of them had gone, she descended the steps. When she reached him, she pulled her veil off, revealing her face, and Jefferson gasped.

As he looked at the woman from his past, he realized he had made a terrible mistake. He should never have come here. He wouldn’t have, if he’d known the Queen of Heart’s true identity.

“Let’s start at the beginning,” the woman said in her full voice. “Just what, _exactly_ , has my daughter been up to?”


	13. Chapter 13

The town meeting finished up a little after noon. As the last few people exited, Snow exhaled heavily, leaning back in her chair. James took her hand and smiled warmly at her.

“That went well, I think,” he told her.

She nodded. “I think so, too. At least everyone’s agreed to leave Regina alone when she returns. We should probably let her know now. All of this needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible.”

James looked around the empty hall. “Where’s Emma?” he asked, not seeing her. “She was here earlier.”

“She probably got tired and stepped out.” She pulled out her phone to see that she had a new text message. “She’s with August. Taking a break. She says she’ll be back later.”

“With August?” James said, raising an eyebrow.

Snow smiled at his fatherly concern. “She’s perfectly safe with him. Besides, Emma can take care of herself.” She felt a pang of guilt at this. She hadn’t been there to raise Emma, and her daughter had been forced into independence early because of a harsh childhood. She pushed the thoughts away. There was no use dwelling on a past she couldn’t change.

James seemed to sense her thoughts and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “We need to call Regina,” he told her.

She sighed. “You’re right.” She dialed the number, and listened to it ring several times. Finally, Regina picked up.

“Where’s Emma?”

“Unavailable. You’ll have to talk to me.”

There was silence on the line, and then, “Well? Did you have something to tell me or not?”

Snow rolled her eyes and shook her head at James, who gave her a small smile.

“Yes. We talked with the town this morning. You can come back.”

“When?”

“Anytime.”

“We’ll be there tonight.” The line disconnected.

Snow snapped her phone shut. “You’re welcome,” she huffed to the air.

“That was quick,” James commented. “Is she coming immediately?”

“She said they’d be back tonight.” Snow stood and held out her hand to Charming.

He stood also and pulled her to his side. They walked toward the door with Snow leaning against him comfortably. “Let’s go watch a movie on the couch,” she said, surprising him. “We can even make popcorn.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Yeah. The town’s pretty well cleared up, Emma’s off for the afternoon, and we’re only Regina-free until tonight. Besides, we have to take advantage while we can. If we find a way home, there won’t be any movies to watch. No more snuggling on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.”

“Who could fault that logic?” He asked, escorting her out the door.

* * *

Emma pulled her hat more snuggly over her ears. They were standing in the high hills outside of town and it was freezing. She hopped back and forth on her feet to stay warm.

“What did you want to do up here?” August asked, amused.

“Walk. There,” she said, pointing at a small path off to the left.

“You came here to walk?”

“Walking helps me relax, okay?” Emma told him, starting toward the trail.

“Okay.”

They traveled along in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“So,” Emma started. “What did you do? You know, for work. Before you came to Storybrooke.”

“I really _was_ a writer.”

She looked at him. “ _Really_? What kind?”

“News. I did freelance for a few papers, a small magazine, a few websites. It was off and on.”

“That’s interesting,” Emma said, looking at him. “You just don’t seem like the writer type.”

“Well, appearances can be deceiving. So what about you? What did you do before you were the Sheriff?”

“Bail-bondswoman.” She smiled and he laughed.

“Emma Swan, bounty hunter.”

“Yep, that was me. Tracking down the criminals of the world. Or at least, of Boston.”

There was silence for another couple of minutes. “Shortly after I came to town,” he started, “you told me you’d moved here to be close to Henry. How’d you find out about him being in Storybrooke? If you don’t mind my asking.”

“Henry found me. Came all the way to Boston himself.”

“Quite a kid,” August smiled.

“Yeah. Regina was _pissed_.”

They both laughed.

“August, did you write the book? Henry’s book?”

He looked at her seriously. “Are you sure you want to talk about this?”

“Yeah. We’ve been walking for a while. I’ve had my ‘time away’.”

“Yes, I wrote the book.”

“So you knew about Henry?”

“No, actually. I sent it to Rumpelstiltskin.”

She looked at him, shocked. “Why?”

“I happen to know he had his own reasons for wanting the curse broken. I sent him the book, hoping he’d remember his past life if he read some of the stories.”

“And it worked?”

“Well, not exactly. He already remembered somehow. He made sure it ended up in Henry’s hands, though, so it was useful after all.”

“So how did you know all of the stories you put in there?”

“They were things my father told me as a child, before the curse. That’s why there’s not a lot of detail to most of them. They come from rumors and half-remembered tales.”

“Why did Gold want the curse broken?”

“He had a son.”

“Really? What happened?”

“He ended up in this world and Rumpelstiltskin’s been looking for him ever since. That’s why the curse brought everyone _here;_ he designed it that way.”

Emma shook her head. “That’s crazy. How old was his son?”

“I don’t know…thirteen, fourteen? Pretty young.”

“Wow,” she stared at her feet as she walked, lost in thought, processing all of the new information. Finally she looked up. “Let’s get back.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” They turned around. Emma brushed her hand against August’s. “Thanks,” she said simply. “I needed this.”

He gave her a warm smile and they headed back to the bike.

* * *

Jefferson still couldn't believe his eyes. He'd thought Cora had died many years ago. Regina had given him the impression she'd died before the curse was ever cast. And somehow, here she stood, looking very much the same as she had the last time he'd seen her, shortly after Alice's death.

"So, you're one of the four sisters of Wonderland? Your sister was the Queen of Diamonds?"

"Is, darling, not was. Although, she's no longer a Queen of any sort." She laughed cruelly.

"So, you...when you sent me on that errand all those years ago… you knew... you knew what would happen to Alice."

"Did I know that my parents were no longer in power? Yes. Did I know my sister's dislike for dear little Alice? Of course. But I hardly knew she would kill her. I had my suspicions, of course, but I needed the information you obtained for me."

“So that you could have your sister removed from the throne and you could take her place.”

“Glad you could figure it all out.  Now tell me; what has Regina been doing? You mentioned a curse. You wouldn’t mean the Dark Curse, would you?” she asked him, eyes narrowed.

Jefferson gasped. He didn’t want to give her any more information than he already had. As the Queen of  Hearts, he’d been willing to deal with her, but as Cora, she was so many times worse than even Regina.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Cora clenched her fists. “That stupid imp! How dare he give her the curse?!”

Jefferson watched in stunned silence as the Queen paced back and forth. She apparently knew much more about the curse than he did. And, it appeared, had some sort of history with Rumpelstiltskin.

Cora suddenly halted and turned toward him. “So everyone from that realm is in this new world?”

Jefferson remained silent.

“You’ve come running to me for help. Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly turned shy?” She waited for a moment, but Jefferson still said nothing. “Don’t be rude. Do I need to teach you some manners?” She flicked her wrist and Jefferson suddenly found himself dangling several inches off the ground, unable to breathe.

He grasped desperately at his throat, trying to somehow loosen the invisible noose.

Cora sighed impatiently. “Are you ready to tell me what I want to know?”

Jefferson managed to nod, almost imperceptibly. He dropped to the ground in a heap, gasping for air.

“Are _all_ of the people in this new world?” She asked again.

He shook his head. “I…I’m not sure,” he managed to cough out.

Cora gave him a minute to regain his voice. “What do you mean, you’re not sure?”

“I don’t know the details of the curse, but it seems like everyone is there.”

“And which world is it?”

“One of the worlds without magic. I believe it to be the same world Alice came from.” Yet another reason he hated the world. It reminded him of his wonderful Alice. How poorly she’d been treated when she’d lived there. It also served as a daily reminder to him that he’d lost her as well as Grace. He felt mocked, not only by Regina, but by the universe as well.

Cora began briskly walking toward the main entrance to Wonderland and gestured for him to follow. “The world with the plain wooden door for an entrance?”

“Yes.” He wondered how she knew this.

“Interesting choice, Regina,” Cora remarked to the air. “I expected higher standards.” To Jefferson, she said, “And you’ve been in this world the entire time?”

Jefferson nodded.

“How, then, have you managed to stay the same age?”

“I don’t know. It must have been something Regina put in the curse because no one has changed at all.”

A very odd expression came over Cora’s face. “So foolish!” she said angrily, and Jefferson wondered to what she was referring.

They reached the mirror and Cora turned to face him. “My dear hatter, you’ve once again made yourself very useful to me. Thank you. I believe I now have all of the information I require.”

Jefferson looked down in horror as he felt his feet sinking into the ground. History repeated itself as he stood trapped, so close to the mirror. “Wait! Don’t you have some kind of magic – something that will allow me to pass through with you, now that the portal has been opened by the hat?”

Cora laughed, a dark sound. “Of course not. I learned my lesson long ago. _One_ comes through, _one_ returns. But only _you_ have the power to start the process.”

“Exactly,” Jefferson pleaded. “So without me, you won’t be able to come back to Wonderland.”

“Oh – I think you’ve just told me a way.”

Jefferson thought about everything he’d said but couldn’t imagine what the Queen might be talking about. “So, you’re trapping me here?”

“You came to the Queen of Hearts for help, are you really surprised?”

She disappeared through the mirror and Jefferson sank to the ground in defeat. He’d once again failed Grace.

Horror struck him, paralyzing him momentarily. Grace was still in the world Cora was on her way to destroy!

With Cora gone, so was the magic that kept him rooted to the ground. He pulled his feet up and ran the short distance to the mirror, pounding his fists against it and yelling. He wasn’t sure what that would accomplish, but he had to do something. Perhaps Cora would hear him and come back to see what he wanted.

After a few minutes, he realized how foolish he was being. Cora was surely long gone by now, and even if she wasn’t, he would in no way concern her.

He leaned against the mirror, willing it to let him pass through.

And then, suddenly, he _was_ through. He lay stunned in the Hall of Doors.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting any more visitors,” he heard a woman say. The voice, however, did not belong to Cora.

He pulled himself up and saw a very interesting-looking woman looking back at him. She wore long purple robes that looked like they’d been among some of the finest at one point, but were now tattered and old. She had long, curly blonde hair that stuck out wildly, somewhat matted in places, and topped with an oddly shaped headpiece. The most noticeable thing for Jefferson, however, had nothing to do with the woman herself, but that she stood in front two open black double doors. _The_ black double doors.

“Did you-” he gaped in shock. “Did you come out of _there_?”

“Oops, did I leave the doors open? How silly of me.” She flicked her wrist and they slammed shut. She looked down, seeming to see the state of her clothes for the first time. “Well, that just won’t do.” She waved her hand again and her robes were instantly restored. Her hair, although still a mess of wild curls, was no longer tangled. “Much better.”

“How?” Jefferson asked. “No one ever comes out of there.”

“Well that’s just not true, my pet. It’s rare, not impossible. While I’m glad to be free, I have to say, I’m also saddened. I made quite a sacrifice to get here, and being able to leave can mean only one thing; my other half is gone forever.” She took a moment, looking grieved, but moved on quickly. “Luckily, I was smart. I knew Regina couldn’t be trusted.”

Jefferson snapped his head up. “Regina?”

“Do you know her?”

“Yes.” His answer was distracted, and he rushed on, suddenly remembering why he’d come here in the first place. “Did you see another woman pass through here by any chance?”

“Oh, you mean Cora?” She laughed. “I do believe she was more surprised by my presence than you. Yes, I saw her, and I sent her back to Wonderland.”

“How?”

“Well, I was in there for quite a while, you know,” she said, gesturing to the doors behind her. “I figured honing my magic was a good use of my time. I’m afraid there wasn’t much else to do.” She looked around at all of the doors and then back to Jefferson. “Am I safe in assuming that, being an acquaintance of Regina, you’re headed to the same world as I am?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, we shall be traveling companions. I could use a guide. What is your name?”

“Jefferson.”

“And I’m Maleficent. Wonderful to meet you.” She gestured forward. “Would you be so kind as to lead the way?”

Jefferson smiled. A woman more powerful than Cora, with a dislike for both the woman and her daughter? This could work out after all.

“We’ll have to be careful entering,” he told her, heading for the door. “Anyone could be waiting for us on the other side.”

“I’m prepared.”

When he opened the door, however, he was not nearly prepared for what was on the other side. They stepped through to find an entire town of people fighting off some very large trees that were somehow walking through the streets.

Jefferson was lost in the chaos for a moment, distracted by the absurd sight. He quickly realized, however, that this was _their_ perfect distraction. He could see Emma not too far away, running with a pile of rope in her arms. She didn’t even glance in his direction.

Grateful that they’d entered at such a moment, he and Maleficent slipped off into the darkness, leaving the hat behind.


	14. Chapter 14

Everyone in the car was silent. They were all glad to be going home; the last few days had been surreal. Grace was hoping her father would get better and she could see him again. Henry, although glad to have been spending time with Regina, was excited to see the rest of his family. Annie wasn’t sure how she felt about any of it. She hadn’t had a place in the fairytale world, and now that everyone had their memories back, she didn’t really have a place in this one, either.

Henry was the one who noticed when Regina missed the on-ramp that would take them in the direction of Storybrooke.

“Mom, that was the turn. Where are we going?”

“I have a stop to make on the way.” She saw him in the rearview mirror, looking at her suspiciously. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back in Storybrooke tonight,” she assured him. “I promise.”

Henry continued to look at her, but settled back into his seat.

After driving for about twenty more minutes, they found themselves in a suburban area.

Eventually, Regina pulled to a stop in front of a very nice, two-story home. It had a short, white fence around the yard, a small front porch, and a perfectly manicured lawn.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look at everyone. “This may take a few minutes. I want all of you to stay in the car.”

“What are you doing? Do you know the person who lives here?” Henry asked.

“Sort of.”

Annie gave her an odd look, but Regina ignored it.

“Will you stay in the car?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good.”

They watched as she let herself through the gate and made her way up to the front door. She knocked, and though the door opened, none of them could see who’d opened it. Regina seemed to argue with the person for a moment, but then disappeared inside.

* * *

Snow and James were still curled on the couch when August and Emma came back that evening.

Snow smiled and stood up. “You’re back! How was your outing?” she asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Emma smiled at August before turning back to Snow. “It was good.”

“I’m glad! Would you like to join us for dinner?” she asked August.

“I would love to, but I can’t. I really should spend some time with my father.”

“Of course!” Snow nodded. “How is Geppetto?”

“He’s doing very well. We’re reconnecting.”

“Well, tell him we say hello.”

“I will. And I’m sure he’ll return the greeting.” He kissed Emma on the cheek and gave Snow and James a small wave. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Snow smiled. James just nodded at him.

Emma shut the door behind August and slid out of her jacket, draping it across the back of a chair.

“Feeling better?” Snow asked.

“Yeah, a little. I’ll still probably sleep for a week when this is all over.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

James was still seated on the couch. “So…August?” he asked Emma.

She looked at him and raised her eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Are you two…dating?”

Emma sighed and plopped down into a chair. “It is _way_ too early to be putting a label on it.” She smiled. “But it’s nice.” She clapped her hands and rubbed them together. “Did I hear the word dinner? I’m starving!”

* * *

Jefferson stayed at the far edges of town, away from the action, as he made his way to the only hiding spot he could think of. His house. With Emma still in possession of the hat, no one would suspect he’d come back through to this world. They’d assume he was stuck. He glanced behind him at the woman following not far behind. Maleficent; what an odd name. She’d remained silent and — despite having just stepped into a new world, one that was very different — seemed quite calm. She’d glance around her with a curious expression every once in a while, but for the most part, acted as if none of this were out of the ordinary for her.

It took about an hour of walking to finally reach the mansion he’d been living in for the past twenty-eight years.

“This is _your_ house?” Maleficent asked. She sounded interested.

“Yes.”

“Regina must like you.”

“Hardly,” came the bitter reply. “This house was a punishment. To serve as a reminder of all the things I gave up.”

“I imagine she didn’t like being the only one to feel guilty. Your pain probably brought her some comfort.”

Jefferson turned to her, upset and confused. “What are you talking about?” he asked angrily.

Maleficent started forward again, as if she hadn’t heard him. “Shall we go inside?”

He stood rooted to the spot.

“Suit yourself, but we can’t talk much if you’re out here,” she tossed over her shoulder as she continued walking.

In no hurry to catch up, he kept his pace slow. It didn’t seem to matter to Maleficent. When she reached the front door, she let herself in.

When Jefferson entered the house a minute later, she’d already settled herself in the sitting room off to the left. She also had a cup of tea in her hands and was taking small sips.

“Shall we talk now?”

Jefferson nodded. “My turn first.”

Maleficent swept out an arm as invitation for him to speak.

“How do you know Regina?”

“I guess you could say we’re old friends.”

Jefferson laughed dismissively. “I’m sure I’ve known her far longer than you have. We were childhood friends.”

Maleficent looked at him interestedly but shook her head. “That may be, but I’ve known our dear Regina since birth.”

Jefferson studied her carefully. Regina had never mentioned this woman, but then maybe there were a lot of things she’d never told him. It had been blatantly obvious during the past twenty-eight years that their friendship had meant nothing to Regina.

“So how’d you end up…down there?” he asked.

“I made the mistake of letting Regina get her hands on the Dark Curse. You could say that all of this—,” she gestured at the space around her, “—is my fault.”

“You? You had the Dark Curse?”

“I did. I traded Regina fairly for it, but she stole it back. It was a curse that should never have been used.” Her eyes turned dark. “There has been too much pain and suffering to come from its casting.”

Jefferson sat in silence for a moment. “So,” he said finally. “You’ll help me fix everything?”

Maleficent tilted her head to the side. “ _Help_ you?”

“Yes. I want to destroy this world. I want to take my daughter and return home.”

“Your daughter…Regina’s punishment was separating the two of you?”

He shook his head. “She did that long ago. No. Her punishment was keeping us apart and allowing me to remember EVERYTHING!” He yelled the last word.

Maleficent didn’t even flinch. “And you really think destroying this world will help fix it?”

“Yes. No one should ever be trapped in this horrible world again.”

“I think your opinion of this world is slightly tainted by your experience,” she said with something between sarcasm and pity. “Have the people of this world really offended you so? There are billions of innocent lives here that you are so ready to extinguish, and why? Because of _your_ pain and suffering.” Her voice remained calm and cool even though her words were passionate. “Regina suffered just as much as you, if not more, and even her reaction was not as severe. You’re worse than she is.”

Jefferson swallowed his argument at those last words, too shocked to continue.

“You were trapped in Wonderland with the Queen of Hearts, were you not?”

Jefferson nodded. “How did you know?”

“I have my sources. You’ve obviously been exposed to her worst forms of punishment. How else could you so easily lose your head?” She laughed wickedly at the wordplay.

Jefferson touched his neck subconsciously, his fingers brushing over the scar.

“Yes. Well, it’s no wonder you went mad. But really, there are other ways of ‘fixing things’ – as you put it. Less violent ones, too, I might add.”

“What did you have in mind?” Jefferson asked her.

“Ah-ah-ah,” Maleficent said, shaking her finger. “That question is off-limits. I don’t trust you not to go spilling my secrets. Besides, they’re secrets that aren’t mine to share.” Jefferson thought he saw sorrow in her expression as she added, “Although, it could be considered violent in its own way for those involved.” She straightened and set down her tea. “Everything will be resolved eventually. Now, we wait.”

“For what?”

“For Regina, of course.”

* * *

Regina stood on the front porch after she rang the doorbell. She heard shouts of laughter coming from inside followed by footsteps. When the door swung open a moment later there was a man in his mid-thirties with a wide grin standing there. “Can I help you?”

“Actually, yes. I’m here to talk about your father.” Straight to the point. She was anxious to get this over with and get back to Storybrooke.

The man’s smile faded slightly. “I’m sorry?”

“You’re Baelfire, right?” Regina knew for sure she had the right person when the man’s smile disappeared completely.

“Listen, lady, I don’t know what kind of sick joke you’re playing, but I’m not amused. Those records were supposed to be sealed. And my name is Brian, not Baelfire.”

“Oh, I assure you, I’m not playing any sort of joke. I’m quite serious. I don’t know about any records, but I’ve managed to…persuade a few people who’ve had dealings with the Blue Fairy — and, of course, with your father — to give me information.

Brian narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you’ve told me your name.”

“Regina Mills.” She extended her hand. Brian just stared at it. “Alright, then,” she said, dropping it back to her side. “But may I at least come inside? Unless you’d like to talk about Rumpestiltskin right here on the porch?”

Brian seemed to deliberate for a moment. He stepped aside without further comment and she passed by him.

He led her to the living room where there were two little girls putting together a puzzle on the floor.

“Come on daddy, come help us,” the younger one said.

The older one looked up, seeing Regina. “Who’s she?”

“Nobody important, Claire. But I have to talk to her for a few minutes, so can you take Sophie to her room, please? You guys can play with her dolls for a little while.”

Claire frowned.

“It’s boring grown-up talk,” Brian told her and the girl scrunched up her face. “Come on, Sophie, we’re gonna go play.”

Sophie stood up and took hold of her sister’s hand. On their way past, Sophie stopped in front of her father. “Will you help us with the puzzle after?”

Smiling warmly at his daughter, he nodded. “Promise. In fact, I pinky-swear.” He stuck out his pinky and the little girl hooked it with her own, shaking it side to side. She then leaned in conspiratorially and loudly whispered, “Stranger-lady’s really pretty,” before running off with her sister, giggling.

Regina couldn’t help a quick smile at the little girl.

“It’s time you told me what you want,” Brian said, instantly returning to his cold demeanor.

“I’m heading back to my town to talk to your father.”

Brian looked at her skeptically. “Lady, you’ve got the wrong person. I don’t have a father.”

“You accused me of looking into sealed records earlier when I called you Baelfire. What records were you talking about?”

He hesitated, but as she already knew as much as she did, there really was no harm in telling her. “From my childhood shrink. I called myself Bae back then. I had a lot of problems, but that’s all behind me. I have a good life now.”

“So you’ve pushed aside your actual identity in favor of some boring one in this world?” She wondered if he could truly believe that he’d imagined his whole childhood.  “No magic, no fairies, no happy endings?”

“You’re the one who sounds crazy. Besides, I’m perfectly happy.”

“Are you? You don’t miss your father at all? Rumpelstiltskin would definitely like to see _you_ again.” More to herself, she added darkly, “Which is why, out of all of the worlds he chose this one, I imagine.”

Brian shook his head. “It sounds like you’ve got problems, and I’m sorry about that, but I can’t help you. I could recommend a good therapist.”

Regina studied him carefully. “You really believe your whole childhood is some sort of delusion, don’t you?”

Brian simply stared back.

Regina shook her head, closing her eyes. “Is it too much to ask for at least one thing to go smoothly?” She was still against using magic, but it was obvious she had no other choice. She’d have to use the smallest amount possible, and hope it carried no consequences. She focused her attention on one of the puzzle pieces on the floor. After a moment, it flew toward her and she caught it in her hand. She held it out to him. “I would rather not use any more magic. It’s quite exhausting. So tell me: may we move our conversation forward now?”

Brian blinked a couple of times, studying the puzzle piece. He shook his head in disbelief. After a long while, he looked up at her. “It’s all true?”

Regina sighed impatiently. “Yes.”

“And you want _my_ help?”

“I have a problem and I need your father’s help to deal with it. In return for his assistance, he wants me to help him find you. I’m simply trying to fulfill my part of the deal.”

Brian frowned. “No.”

“ _No_?”

“No. I’ve made a life here. I have a wife, two daughters, a house, a job. I won’t give that up.”

“You don’t have to. You just have to see him.”

He shook his head. “There’s no way. Nobody knows about this. My wife knows I had problems when I was younger, but I never told her the specifics. I’d need time to think about everything. When would all of this happen?”

“Soon. I’d call you when it was time.”

“Where exactly is he? And how did you all get here?”

“I can’t tell you the location yet.” She smiled a smile that he could see immediately wasn’t genuine. “The deal’s not exactly official yet, you see. I don’t want to give up my biggest advantage. He might not agree otherwise. As to how we got here, I think I’ll let Rumpelstiltskin answer that.”

Brian glanced toward the hallway his daughters had just been walking down. “If I do this, will you leave me and my family alone?”

“You have my word.”

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

Regina smiled and stood, smoothing out her slacks. “I’ll call you.” She headed for the door.

“But I haven’t given you my number,” he said, following her.

She turned to look at him, her hand on the doorknob. “I already have it.”

Her smile unnerved him and he went to the window to watch her leave.

He didn’t know how the others had gotten through to this world and couldn’t even begin to guess why Regina needed his father’s help. Whatever it was, he didn’t trust her if she was the kind of person who would make deals with Rumpelstiltskin.

He watched her drive away, still in a state of shock. There was one thing he was sure of; his life had just been turned upside down.


	15. Chapter 15

It wasn’t dark yet when they reached Storybrooke. Regina hid the fact that she was a little nervous being out in the open. Emma had assured her that no one would be making any attempts on her life. She clung to that thought as people stopped to stare as they passed through town. To Regina’s relief, none of them did anything more. When they reached the apartment building, Emma was standing out front with both of her parents.

Henry unbuckled his seatbelt as soon as the car had stopped and was out the door like a shot. He nearly knocked Emma down with his tackling hug.

“Hey, kid. It’s good to see you, too,” Emma laughed.

Regina stood awkwardly outside of the car with Annie and Grace, watching the mini-family reunion. Even though she had spent the last few days with Henry and had been assured of his love for her, she still felt that Emma was stealing him away. She looked on with bitterness as they all talked joyfully.

“Are you hungry?” Snow was asking him. “We just had dinner, but there’s a lot left.”

“I’m starving!”

James patted him on the shoulders. “Alright, Henry, let’s get you fed.” He started to lead him toward the apartment but Henry stopped and turned around.

“Mom, aren’t you coming?”

Regina looked quickly around at the adults. “Henry, umm…I don’t think—”

“Henry’s right,” Emma said.

Snow gave her a look that no one missed but it didn’t deter Emma. “Mary Margaret! It’s not like she has anywhere else to stay. You really think it would be a good idea to drop her down at Granny’s?”

“No, you’re right.” Snow frowned. “Regina, you’re staying with us for a while.”

Regina looked outraged. “Is that an order?”

“Yes. I would _ask_ but you would say no.”

“And I assume my house is…”

“Almost completely destroyed.” Emma grimaced.

Regina nodded solemnly but Henry stepped away from James. “What? The whole house?” Emma seemed momentarily surprised at how upset this seemed to make Henry.

Regina approached him and bent to his level. “Henry, don’t worry, it’s only a house. It can be rebuilt. What’s important is that we’re okay.”

Henry nodded and wrapped his arms around her tightly for a moment.

Emma felt somewhat ashamed. Of course Henry would be upset. It was the house he’d grown up in; he would have some attachment to it.

When Regina straightened, she surprised everyone by saying, “Annie and Grace will need to stay as well.”

“Well, of course they’re welcome,” Snow said slowly, confused by Regina’s statement, “but they might be more comfortable at Granny’s. We don’t have a _lot_ of room.”

“We’ll have to make do. Grace won’t be safe because of what Jefferson’s done and Annie is a stranger to everyone in this town. The only thing people know about her is that she’s worked with me for the last twenty-eight years.”

James nodded. “Alright, everyone, upstairs. It’s dinner time.” Annie and Grace followed him. Henry paused but Regina waved him up.

“Go on, Henry. I have something I need to take care of. I’ll be back before bedtime.”

“You better be.”

Regina smirked at his cheeky answer as he ran to catch up with everyone.

“He gets the attitude from you,” Emma said.

Snow didn’t seem to hear the comment. She was staring at Regina. Regina glared at her but realized that Snow wasn’t so much staring as she was lost in some sort of deep thought. It made Regina very uncomfortable.

“ _Hello_? Snow,” Emma said, waving a hand in front of her face.

Snow jumped and looked at Emma, her eyes darting back to Regina for a quick second.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m sorry. Anyway, I assume you’re going to talk to Gold?”

Emma nodded but Regina looked at her in confusion. “ _I’m_ going to see Gold, not you.”

“I’m coming with you. I won’t go inside with you when we get there,” she assured, seeing the look on Regina’s face. “I just don’t think it would be a great idea for you to be going around town by yourself. Even though people agreed not to hurt you.”

“Fine,” Regina said, although she was secretly grateful. “But I’m driving.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll see you when you get back,” Snow said to Emma before heading inside.

The drive started in tense silence. Emma finally looked at Regina.

“So, what’s Gold’s deal?”

Regina gave her an odd look and Emma thought back over her question.

“Okay, bad word choice. I meant, what’s his problem? He’s so creepy.”

“He has his own curse that he has to live with. Nothing to do with me. He’s lived with it since long before I was born.”

“Depressing. So, now that I’m thinking about it, what _is_ his deal? Literally. What are you doing for him so that he’ll help with whatever it is?”

“I’m helping him find someone,” Regina said.

“Well, he already found Belle.”

Emma went flying forward, the seatbelt catching her violently as Regina slammed on the brakes. The car came to a screeching halt in the middle of an intersection. People outside were staring but neither woman inside the car noticed.

“What did you say?” Regina asked, her hands gripping the wheel tightly, head turned toward Emma.

Emma was frozen. She couldn’t believe she’d said it. She very rarely went back on her word, but here she was.

“I…I…”

“ _Belle_ …is with Rumpelstiltskin?” Regina clarified carefully.

Emma nodded. It was too late to pretend she didn’t know what she was talking about. She’d said it already; there was no way to take it back.

“Why? What’s the significance?” Emma asked.

Regina began driving again.

“Regina? Are you behind Gold thinking she was dead? Did you do that?”

Regina stayed focused on the road.

“Right; well, I’m gonna take that as a big fat yes. Of course you were; how could I not have guessed?”

Still nothing.

“Please don’t tell him about this,” Emma asked. “I told him I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

Regina nodded. “But not because you asked. Let’s be clear. It would be dangerous for me to let him know that I know about Belle.”

“So what does this mean for your deal?” Emma asked curiously.

“It means that I’m going to have to use more caution when I talk with him.”

They pulled up to the house and Regina looked at Emma. “Don’t even get out of the car.”

Emma gave her a dirty look. “Okay, mom.”

Regina responded with a tight-lipped smile. She made her way to the front door and was grateful to see that there was no one out in this part of the neighborhood.

The door was quick to open and it was Gold. As expected, Belle was nowhere in sight.

“I heard you were back, Your Majesty.” He leaned on his cane and peered at her. “Glad you came right away.”

“Yes, well, you asked. May I come in?”

He smiled and gestured inside. She sat herself on the edge of a chair in the living room, back perfectly straight. Her posture exuded professionalism and maybe just a hint of desire to get this over with quickly.

“I’ve heard that you accepted my deal,” Regina said to him as soon as he’d taken a seat.

“I have, but it’s not official yet.” He withdrew a stack of papers from an inside pocket and set them on the coffee table in front of her. “I believe you’re familiar with the outlines of my contracts,” he sneered.

“A little too familiar.” She took the pen he’d just extended to her and slid the papers closer to herself, skimming them quickly. Without signing, she capped the pen and slid the document back to him.

“Problem, dearie?” He asked. He tried to appear unaffected, but there was annoyance in his words.

“Yes. I will do as you ask, but only _after_ you help me.”

“What’s to say you won’t use my help and then back out of the deal?”

“Have I ever backed out of a deal with you?” Regina asked him.

“No. But you sure do make them interesting.”

“Well, I think you might enjoy this deal a little more. It might actually be a challenge.”

Rumpelstiltskin leaned forward. It was not just the words that interested him. It was the way Regina’s face had gone ashen as she said them.

“You’re afraid. Whatever Jefferson’s planning can’t be that bad, so it must be a who. You haven’t told me. Who has Jefferson gone to for help?”

“The Queen of Hearts.” At Rumpelstiltskin’s apparent confusion, she clarified, “My mother.”

Rumpelstiltskin sat back. This was indeed an interesting little tidbit. And one that definitely sweetened the deal. He had been looking for opportunities to get back at Cora for her ability to squirm out of his agreement.

He pulled another pen out of his pocket, decision made, and added a few more stipulations to the contract. He watched in silence as Regina read over it once again.

This time, she added her signature to the bottom and looked up at him. “Rumpelstiltskin, we have a deal.”

He tucked the papers carefully back into his jacket and stood up. “Pleasure, as always,” he said sourly.

Regina headed straight for the door but Rumpelstiltskin called out to her. “Oh, Regina?”

Her eyes flashed at his use of her first name, but she remained silent.

“There are a few more things I would like to discuss with you once we’re done dealing with your…mommy issues.”

His tone was dangerous. Regina swallowed, keeping her mask firmly in place, not allowing him to know that she knew exactly what he wanted to speak with her about.

“Very well.”

She closed her eyes as she drew near the car and took a deep breath. This was a rather large hiccup in the grand scheme of things. Belle had been a wildcard. One that she’d meant to keep hidden until much later in the game. Unfortunately, she’d popped up in Rumpelstiltskin’s favor, and now posed a threat to her. This was thin ice, and Regina was going to have to tread very carefully.

“You okay?” Emma asked, when Regina slid back behind the wheel. She’d caught the look of intense concern.

“Fine. For now.” Regina started the car and headed back to the apartment. This wasn’t something she wanted to think any more about. Not now, with everything else on her plate.

Emma started to say something, but Regina quickly cut her off.

“Ms. Swan, if you don’t mind, I could use a little silence right now. It’s been a long couple of days.”

It was strange to be identifying with Regina, but this was exactly how she’d felt earlier in the day. Knowing that they would require Regina’s help soon and that it would be best to have a sane Regina, Emma nodded.

Nothing more was said the whole way.


	16. Chapter 16

When the door shut behind Regina, Rumpelstiltskin climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door. “It’s alright Belle, she’s gone now.” He stepped into the room to see that Belle was sitting by the window, watching through the curtains as Regina climbed into her car. Only when the car was completely out of sight did she turn to face him.

Rumpelstiltskin was pained to see the expression on her face. It was still Belle, but she lacked the vibrancy she’d had before. He prayed that this was only temporary, and that, eventually, she’d regain the happiness and light she’d once possessed. She’d already come a short way.

Belle was a special case when it came to the breaking of the curse. Whereas most people had been struggling with integrating their two lives, it seemed to strengthen Belle. Rumpelstiltskin did not know yet all that Belle had suffered, but it had left her a scared and insecure shell of what she once was. Regaining the memories of their world brought back her sanity and sense of self. She’d been slowly adapting to this life and he was glad to see that she seemed to be getting better. They hadn’t talked about what her life here in Storybrooke had been, but she didn’t seem ready, so he didn’t push the topic. He wanted her to be able to trust him, and it was with this in mind that he decided to finally open up to her.

“Do you remember,” he began, taking a seat across from her, “when you asked me to tell you about my son?”

She nodded, and he wondered if he imagined her eyes regaining just a little of their sparkle.

 “His name was Baelfire, but I called him Bae.” He paused, searching Belle’s face; he found only love, support, and a sort of wonder that he was actually opening up to her. His expression was warm and soft, recalling his son, but his eyes filled with deep sadness and regret. “The only deal I’ve ever broken was with him.”

“What happened?” There was silence for a few moments and Belle worried that she shouldn’t have said anything. He’d been hesitant to tell her anything before and she didn’t want to scare him off with questions. But eventually, Rumpelstiltskin answered.

“It was the darkness in me. Bae wanted it gone, like you, and I promised that if he found a way to free me of the darkness without killing me, I would give up my powers.”

There was silence again, but Belle didn’t dare interrupt this time. Finally, he said, “He found one. The Blue Fairy had a magical bean that opened the portal, and Bae jumped through. I was a coward,” he said, bitterness entering his tone. “I didn’t follow him. The portal closed and I was trapped. I tried to open it back up, but there was no way.”

Belle placed a hand gently over the hand he had in his lap. “I’m so sorry, Rumpelstiltskin,” she said softly. “How long ago did this all happen?”

“Not long after the Ogre Wars.”

“The Ogre Wars! But that was—”

“A few centuries ago, dearie. Yes, I know. I lived through them. I’ve been cursed for quite a while. And I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time.”

“What moment?”

“The one where the curse is finally broken and I have a chance to reunite with my son.”

“But…Rumpelstiltskin…it’s been—“

“—I know. But that’s one of those lovely little differences that makes each world so unique. Time.”

“Time? I—I don’t understand.”

“Time doesn’t move at the same rate in all of the worlds. In this particular world, time moves _much_ more slowly than in ours.”

“But, how do they have our stories? They’ve had them  for centuries. How is that possible if time in our world moves more quickly?”

"That, my dear, is a long story. I promise I'll tell you some other time.”

She nodded. “So your son is still here?”

“I’m hoping he is, yes.”

“And you knew about the curse; you said you had a hand in its design.”

“I did, indeed. I, in fact, created it. It took me decades to create. The problem was, with the amount of power it would take to bring me to this world, I needed lots of energy. To gather that energy, I needed to bring over everyone. Little pieces of each of their souls. And a slightly larger portion from the one who cast it. The problem was, as the creator of the curse, _I_ couldn’t be the one to bring it to life. That’s where the Queen came in. Her hatred and desire for revenge was powerful enough to manage the task. The little details, and the decision to take everyone’s happy endings, were hers. As was keeping us all from aging. It took quite a while to get her to the idea of casting such a curse. There was a time when she’d traded it away and I was afraid it would never be used, but she eventually did exactly what I needed her to do.”

“So, she must have found out about Baelfire, and why you created the curse the way you did.”

Rumpelstiltskin gave her a surprised look, amazed at her insight.

“It’s what you said back by that...invisible wall thing,” she explained. “You thought she’d put it up on purpose?”

“Yes. She found out about my weakness and used it to make her own deal with me.”

“Which was?”

“I help her out with a rather large problem that she’s facing and then she helps me find my son.”

“And you think she’ll be able to find him?”

“I think that if she was able to find out about him in the first place then she might have some idea of where he is, yes.”

“And so, that’s the deal you made?”

“Yes. This is my last chance to find my son. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Belle looked at him warmly, love apparent in her expression. “You’re a good father, Rumpelstiltskin.” She took his hand. “You’ll find him.”

He squeezed her hand, grateful to have everything out in the open and to have her support.

“I hope so, Belle. I certainly hope so.”

* * *

When Regina and Emma walked through the apartment door, Snow was waiting in a chair for them.

“Everyone all settled in?” Emma asked.

Snow nodded. “We managed to get ahold of a few air mattresses and sleeping bags. The girls will be in our room and Henry’s in your bed. We thought maybe Regina could sleep on the couch and you could have the air mattress up in your room.”

Regina looked at Emma with a resigned expression. She cringed inwardly at the thought of spending another night curled up awkwardly. To her surprise, though, Emma said. “No, it’s fine. I’ll take the couch for tonight and then we’ll figure out everything else in the morning.”

“Are you sure, Emma?” Snow asked. She couldn’t believe her daughter would give up a bed for this woman.

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Emma couldn’t imagine being holed up in a hotel room for three days with nowhere to go. Although Regina wasn’t one of her favorite people, she thought she deserved a small break.

“Well, the girls and James are already asleep and I’m only awake because I was waiting for you.” She looked at Regina. “Henry said you promised him you’d be back before bedtime, so he’s refusing to go to sleep until he sees you. He’s being quite stubborn about it.”

Regina actually smiled a little. “Anything to get out of bedtime.”

Emma and Snow still found it bizarre to observe her ability to flip-flop emotions so suddenly.

“I’m gonna go out for a while,” Emma said.

“Right now?” Snow didn’t like the thought of Emma out alone.

“Yeah, I just need some time by myself. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

“Okay,” she said hesitantly. “Well—” she spun on her heel, headed for her room, “goodnight, everyone.”

“Goodnight,” Emma responded. Regina remained silent.

Emma turned to her but Regina spoke first. “I’m going to go talk to Henry. Have a good outing, Ms. Swan.” She headed up the stairs. Emma shook her head. Regina was truly impossible. She grabbed her keys and headed out the door, ready to just be alone for an hour or so. She wasn’t even sure where she wanted to go.

Regina paused near the top of the stairs, seeing Henry deeply engrossed in his book. She quietly cleared her throat to announce her presence so as not to scare him. He was sitting up on the bed, cross-legged in his pajamas, with the book spread out on his lap. When he saw her, he hurriedly shut it and went to shove it under his pillow.

“You don’t have to do that anymore, you know,” Regina said softly, climbing the last few stairs and stepping into the room.

“Right. Habit, I guess,” he said sheepishly, pulling the book back out and laying it next to him.

Regina took a seat on the edge of the bed. She lifted the cover of the book and it opened to a picture of her dressed all in black at the royal wedding. She quickly shut it again and looked at Henry.

“How long did you know?” she asked Henry. “Before you brought Emma to town, how long did you know about the curse?”

“A while,” Henry told her. “I always knew something was different here. You did a really good job of keeping me from noticing that I was the only kid in Storybrooke that was growing up.”

Regina brushed a hand against her son’s face. Having to isolate him from normal social activities was something she had always regretted.

“It took me a long time to figure it out,” Henry continued. “And then, Ms. Blanchard gave me the book. That was a couple of months before I found Emma. When I read it, everything started making sense.”

“You’re so smart.” Regina sounded both sad and proud. “That’s why you were starting to get more distant. I thought it was because I was spending more time at work.”

“It was at first. But then it was because I knew you were the Evil Queen.”

Regina ran her fingers softly over the book, tracing the letters on the cover. Henry seemed to sense her sadness.

“It’s okay, mom. I love you.”

Regina looked at him for a moment. “Henry, why _do_ you love me?”

“What do you mean? You’re my mom.”

“Yes, and I love you very much. But for a while, you turned against me. You believed I was truly evil and wanted to see my downfall. You wanted the curse gone, for good to win over evil and to see me defeated.”

Henry looked down guiltily.

“Sweetheart, I’m not blaming you,” she said, pulling up his chin. She hadn’t called him sweetheart in years but it seemed appropriate now. “I just want to know. What changed your mind so suddenly? Even after you…” she paused. “You—you woke up…When I told you I loved you, you still looked angry.”

Henry looked down uncomfortably. “I was confused. I had a lot to think about.”

She looked at him curiously but didn’t say anything.

“Remember how you asked last night what I was dreaming about?”

“Yes.” Regina dreaded to hear what it had been.

“Well, I was dreaming about what I dreamed when I was in a coma.”

“You had dreams?”

“Yeah. Well, half of them were dreams, half of them were memories.”

“And they were bad?”

“In some of them, I remembered all of the times from when I was really little and we had so much fun playing together.”

She smiled at the memories of days spent in the park. Back before she had to start worrying about him noticing the frozen state of time.

“I’d kind of forgotten,” Henry continued. “It’s been such a long time. I remembered all of those good things. And then I remembered all of the bad things I did to you. How many times I told you I hated you.”

Regina felt like someone reached inside her and was squeezing her insides. Not just at the memories of those terrible words, but at her sudden realization of where this was going.

“And then, the dreams started.” He closed his eyes tight, fighting off tears. “Mom, they were terrible. They weren’t all about you, but a lot of them were. About how badly I treated you. I tried as hard as I could to wake up, so that I could fix everything. Even the nightmares I had when I was little weren’t this bad.”

‘ _Dreams formed of your own regrets._ ’ The words came back to Regina and she had to fight the urge to throw up. A few nightmares about the Evil Queen, she could have handled, but this was so much worse than what she’d expected. How could she not have remembered? How had she not thought about what that apple could do? She’d been too distracted by everything going on and by the extreme effects it had in this world. Her blood ran cold and her face drained of color.

“Mom, are you okay?” Henry asked. He must have started crying because there were tears on his face. Without saying anything, she pulled him close and hugged him tightly to her.

“I love you so much, Henry. I have done so many bad things in my life, but not you. You’re perfect and I love you. Those were just dreams. You don’t have to worry anymore. We’re together and we’re alright.”

She felt Henry nod against her.

“Do you think you could sleep now?” she asked him. She needed to get out. She felt herself close to breaking down and she didn’t want to lose it in front of Henry.

“Yes,” he said sleepily. He’d  already stayed up waiting for her and crying had made him even more exhausted.

She pulled back the covers for him as he crawled under. When he was settled in, she tucked the blanket around him, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “No matter who I am, or what I’ve done, I love you more than anything in _all_ the worlds.”

He smiled faintly, eyes closed, already drifting off to sleep. “I love you too, mom.”

She moved quietly toward the stairs and hurried down them. She stopped at the bottom, barely putting her hand up in time to muffle the sob that escaped. Tears streamed freely down her face now and her whole body shook silently.

“Are you alright?”

Regina jumped, nearly screaming, seeing David standing awkwardly behind the kitchen counter. “David! You scared me.”

“James.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, I meant James,” she said, quickly wiping her tears away with both hands. “I thought everyone had gone to bed.” She tried to stand proudly as if he hadn’t just caught her crying.

“Well, I had gone to bed, but I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to have a cup of coffee.”

“To help you sleep?” she asked sarcastically.

“It’s decaf,” he said, holding up the freshly made pot. “Want a cup?”

She really wanted to be alone, but every room of the house was occupied and she couldn’t very well go outside. Besides, the coffee _did_ smell really good. “Okay,” she agreed. “But just one.”

He pulled two mugs down from the cabinet and filled them, holding one out to Regina.

“Thank you.” She inhaled the amazing scent, closed her eyes and took a small sip. “Mmmmm.” She opened her eyes to see James staring at her, the same as he had been earlier, and this time, she had to say something. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

His eyes seemed to snap into focus and he looked innocent. “Like what?”

“Like you’re studying me for some kind of project. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just trying to figure you out.” When she simply looked at him, he continued. “You were the most evil person I had ever met, except for Rumpelstiltskin. In our world, you were feared and hated by everyone.”

Regina exhaled, putting down her mug. “If you’re just going to insult me, then I—”

“No, that’s not what I meant—I mean, it is, but…Uhhhh.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “Can we please sit and talk for a minute?” he asked, gesturing at the table.

She looked into his eyes and was surprised to see only honesty. There was no malice in his expression. She took a seat and he followed.

“It’s just that here, you’re different.”

“I’m the same person.”

“No. You remember everything, right? I mean, you knew who everyone actually was for the last twenty-eight years?” She nodded. “But you _act_ differently here. I keep waiting for the Evil Queen I know to show up, but she doesn’t. There’s just you. Like just now. Why were you crying?”

Regina stiffened. “That’s _none_ of your business.”

“Did it have something to do with Henry?”

She just glared at him.

“He adores you, you know,” he told her, surprising himself. He wasn’t sure why he found the need to reassure her. He supposed he just couldn’t bear to see anyone as upset as she’d been a moment ago. “You adopted him when he was a baby?” Regina nodded. “See, that’s one thing. The Evil Queen I know wouldn’t want the burden of raising a child.”

“I didn’t always, but things can change.”

“You were lonely.” She didn’t respond, but the way she stared at her coffee, she didn’t have to. He knew he was right. “Is that why you became Mayor as well? To have people to take care of?” There was so much tension in the air and he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stop himself from making his next statement. “Or was it just for the mad rush of power?” The question wasn’t serious and he was surprised that he’d said it, but he was even more surprised by her reaction.

She smiled slightly and said, “Oh, the mad rush of power, definitely.”

He laughed and she couldn’t help but chuckle a little. He was suddenly reminded of their dinner together not long ago, and he grew serious again.

“You told me that night that you found me by the side of the road. What really happened?”

The question had come out of nowhere, but she knew what he was referring to. “Well,” she began slowly, “you were close to death when I brought everyone here. In fact, I believe Snow thought you were already gone. I put you in the hospital and with this world’s technology, they were able to save you.”

“But, why? Why not just let me die?”

She considered him for a moment. It was strange to be talking to him so openly about everything. “You didn’t deserve it. Snow did, but you’d done nothing to me.”

“Why do you hate her so much? You did raise her, didn’t you?”

“You mean, she never told you?” Regina raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing specific. She told me once that she’d ruined your life, but that was as detailed as it ever got.”

“Interesting.”

“So what _did_ she do to you?”

“I’ll leave that for Snow to answer.” Her face looked pained as if she were reliving events in her mind. She looked up at him and was surprised by the soft expression on his face. “Why are you being nice to me?”

He looked at her carefully. He hadn’t met the Evil Queen on very many occasions as James, but he had spent a lot of time with the Mayor recently, as David. He saw the latter in her now. Her eyes were a soft brown, not the dark color they could be at times. Part of it might be that the liner she normally wore so thickly was much lighter than usual. Most of it had faded with her recent crying. Although her expression was still hard, he could see that there was vulnerability and a deep sadness behind it. Probably best not to tell her that so he simply said, “They don’t call me Prince Charming for nothing.”

She bit down on her lip to hide her smile, but he saw it anyway. He had to be one of the only people in Storybrooke who had seen her truly smile. It made him think again of the night he’d had dinner with her, and of her mumbled remembrances of that same evening when she’d been recovering from using magic the night the curse was broken.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Regina, when you had me over for dinner…and you tried to ummm…kiss me?”

“Merely another way to try and punish Snow. Stealing you away.”

“I’m glad.” She furrowed her brow.

“I mean, that it was an evil plot, instead of…”

“Me being secretly, madly in love with you?” She smiled mischievously over the coffee cup, her eyes sparkling, before taking another sip.

He laughed. “Yeah, that.”

She swallowed the last bit of coffee, standing and putting her cup in the sink.

“Regina—thank you for talking with me.”

Her face grew slightly concerned. “About earlier….you won’t—”

“I promise I won’t tell a soul,” he said.

“You’re lucky,” she told him, starting toward the stairs.

He followed her, an expression of confusion on his face. “Lucky how?”

“Lucky that you turned me down that night. You wouldn’t have been able to handle me.” She gave him a wicked smile.

He laughed, blushing. “No, I don’t think I would have.” She started up the stairway but paused when he said, still smiling, “You know that this doesn’t mean we’re friends, or that I trust you or anything?”

“I know, dear. Don’t worry, I don’t trust you, either.”

She glided quickly up the stairs and out of sight, leaving him to shake his head as he entered his own room. Regina may be a lot of things, but pure, undiluted evil was not one of them.


	17. Chapter 17

Snow woke up to the most amazing smelling breakfast. She looked to her side. James was still sleeping beside her and Annie and Grace were both still asleep as well. Her brow creased. Emma didn't cook. She slipped her robe on and padded out to stand at the base of the stairs.

Sure enough, Regina was putting the finishing touches on a very large, very delicious breakfast. She paused to speak. “Emma, could you wake everyone up? There’s a lot to do, people shouldn’t still be sleeping.”

Emma, who had been sitting on a stool, elbows on the counter, watching Regina, rolled her eyes and slid her feet down to the floor, heading toward Snow. She smiled when she saw her but didn’t say anything.

Snow remained in her spot, unnoticed by both Regina and Henry, who was also sitting a stool. She watched as Regina added eggs and bacon to a plate full of pancakes and set the down in front of Henry.

He grinned, looking down at the pancakes. “You made them into star shapes!” he said gleefully.

“They were your favorite when you were little.”

“Thanks, mom,” he said through a large bite of food.

“Henry!” She scolded, but she didn’t sound angry and she was smiling. “Didn’t I teach you not to talk with your mouth full?”

He nodded vigorously as he’d already shoveled another fork-full into his mouth.

Snow stepped out as Regina was building another plate of food. “Good morning!” she said cheerfully. Regina’s smile disappeared but Henry looked happy to see her.

“Mom made pancakes!”

“I see that.”

Regina, avoiding Snow, took the now full plate of food to the kitchen table. Henry hopped off the stool and carried his over to join her.

Snow began distributing the remainder of food evenly among five plates, and the others soon appeared. They all crowded around the table.

“Mmm…” Grace said, taking a bite. “This is really good!”

“I’m impressed,” Emma said, taking a huge bite.

“Yes, your breakfast is as good as your lasagna,” James smiled.

Emma frowned and Snow almost dropped her fork.

“Thank you, James.” Regina ignored them.

Snow finally took a bite and closed her eyes, enjoying the flavor. “I forgot how amazing your food tastes,” she said to Regina.

“You cooked for Ms. Blanchard?” Henry asked. “I mean…Snow?”

“Only sometimes,” Snow told him.

“King Leopold didn’t allow me to cook. He said it was not the Queen’s place.”

Everyone paused their eating to listen, interested in a past where Regina wasn’t the feared Evil Queen.

“It wasn’t that he didn’t allow you; it’s that he didn’t want you to have to do anything that you didn’t need to. He was trying to treat you like a Queen.” She was hurt by the way Regina twisted her father’s actions.

“Just as in the case of this morning, I only cooked because it’s something I enjoy doing. Yet another example of the happiness I was denied living in the castle. I was meant to be _somebody’s_ Queen. Just. Not. His.” The statement seemed to have many layers and no one knew exactly what she had meant by it. Except for the person who’d been the target of her words.

Snow pushed her food around with her fork, staring intently at the eggs as they moved around the plate. Even after everything Regina had done, the woman still managed to make her feel as if she was solely responsible for everything that had transpired from that fateful night on.  She grasped for something, anything, that would distract her from the terrible guilt she lived with. The food in front of her and memories of a simpler, happier life floated to the surface. “When she made breakfast it was _quite_ the event,” she told everyone. “We’d sneak down to the kitchen and spend an hour cooking everything. Regina always let me stir.”

Regina was caught off guard by the sudden direction Snow had taken. She looked uncomfortable at the memory, but Snow didn’t notice. Her look was far away; she was lost in the memory. “All of the servants would gather in the kitchen when they woke for their morning chores and we would all eat together. Everyone loved her food. Those were always the most special days.” Snow shook her head, climbing out of her reverie and began eating again, pointedly ignoring Regina’s gaze.

Emma watched the exchange (or lack thereof) in amazement. It was nearly impossible to imagine that the Mayor had raised Mary Margaret.

“You’re going to have to speak to the town today,” James told Regina. “Everyone’s heard that you’re back and they’ll be expecting to hear from you.”

Regina nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Regina…” Snow hesitated. “I know that you’ve been keeping everything quiet. You haven’t told anyone why Jefferson is such a threat, but I think it’s time. Everyone has agreed to help you and we deserve to be prepared. Who did he go to speak with?”

Regina nodded slowly after a moment. She wouldn’t be able to tell them what needed to be done until they understood what they were facing. Taking a breath, she looked around at all of them. Saying it aloud made it seem more real. She hadn’t enjoyed telling Rumpelstiltskin and she certainly wasn’t enjoying it right now. “Jefferson went to Cora.”

Snow was the only one to react. Her dish clattered loudly as she dropped her silverware. Her face drained of color and she seemed to be having a hard time getting enough air. “But I thought—I assumed that she was…dead.”

“Don’t I wish it were true?” Regina commented dryly.

“I’m confused,” Emma shook her head. “Who’s Cora?”

Regina dragged her eyes up to meet Emma’s. “My mother.”

“And that’s…um, bad?” The woman who’d raised Regina obviously couldn’t be Mother of the Year, but Snow’s reaction had seemed a bit dramatic. It was Regina who was the Evil Queen, after all.

Snow folded her napkin neatly, setting it on the table. She repressed a shudder, thrown back into early memories of her own association with the woman. “Beyond bad, Emma. This woman is cruel and heartless, destroying things without a second thought. She’s completely destructive in every way.” Snow forced herself to look at Regina, sorrow etched into both her voice and expression. “What’s worse is that she’s deceptively charming. She’ll lure you in and get you to tell her everything she wants. You can’t trust her.” Snow longed for forgiveness, but knew that it was something she would never have.

Regina’s returning gaze held nothing but a cold apathy.

James watched them both. This obviously had something to do with what had happened between the two of them so long ago. He placed a hand gently on Snow’s. “So what do we need to do?” he asked Regina, spurring them to return to the current problem.

Regina looked almost grateful for the change of topic. “We need to create a prison cell, similar to what Rumpelstiltskin’s was. Something that can keep her from using magic.”

“All of this, everything we’ve been doing the past couple of days, was over _one_ woman?” Emma looked incredulous. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No.” Regina sounded angry. “She is more powerful than you can imagine. Look at what I did to the people of our world with this curse. Where do you think I learned it? She is far more dangerous than I am. Even more concerning is that she holds a grudge against me and won’t care about the consequences of using magic in this world. She will come here, and she will destroy it, and she’ll do it for no other reason than to strike at _me_. I wouldn’t take this so lightly, Ms. Swan. _Everything_ is at stake.”

“So why do you need the whole town’s help? It doesn’t sound like there’s much that anyone – besides you and Gold – can do about it.”

“For one, we’re going to need everyone on the lookout. They could come through to this world at any time. More importantly, we’ll need everyone with magical abilities. We can create the cage, but in order to do that safely, we’ll need as many people as we can get. If each person uses as little magic as possible…”

“The consequences won’t be as severe,” Snow finished thoughtfully. “It just might work.”

“Yes, well, it will need to be coordinated.” She put a hand on her stomach, something she did often when having an unpleasant conversation. “There is another reason we require Rumpelstilskin’s help.” This was growing a bit personal for her taste, but no one in the room would recognize it as such. “He and my mother have…history.”

“Your _mother_ has history with Rumpelstiltskin?” Emma asked. “Geez, how old is this guy?”

“A few hundred years,” Regina replied straightly.

Emma laughed, but quickly realized that she was the only one. “ _Hundreds_ of years? How is that possible?”

“He’s cursed,” Snow told her. “His curse allows him to live indefinitely, or until the next person takes on the curse, in which case he would live out the rest of his natural life. Or at least, that’s what I’ve heard.”

Emma crossed her arms on the table. “What about his son? How long ago did he come through to this world?”

Snow and James looked completely lost. Regina, on the other hand, studied Emma with interest. “How do you know about Rumpelstiltskin’s son?”

“August told me.”

Snow’s gaze shifted between the two. “Rumpelstiltskin had a son?”

“Bae.” Annie interrupted, looking at Regina. “His name was Bae. The little boy Rumpelstiltskin pretended to be was his son, wasn’t it?”

Regina nodded. “Yes, I believe it was. And yes, he did have a son,” she directed at Snow. “A long, long time ago. But time is different between worlds. Bae is still very much alive, despite the centuries that have passed. That is why Rumpelstiltskin brought us here, to _this_ world. This was the world his son escaped to all of those years ago.”

“ _Rumpelstiltskin_ brought us here?” James asked. “But I thought that was _your_ doing?”

“I was the cause, yes. But Rumpelstiltskin was the designer. What I’m curious about right now is August.” Emma noticed that Regina was watching her closely. “Who is he? And how does he know so much about our world?”

Emma argued inwardly for a moment. Was it dangerous for Regina to know who August was? She decided after a moment that, regardless of what she said, Regina would find a way to acquire the information she wanted. She might as well just tell her. “He’s Pinocchio.”

Regina combed her memories for the source of the name. It finally came to mind. “The wood-carver’s son?”

Emma nodded.

She squinted her eyes, thinking back over his presence in Storybrooke. “Did he remember everything the _whole_ time?”

“Yes.”

“How is that possible? No one retained their memories, and none of them were allowed to leave Storybrooke. The curse saw to that.”

“He came through with me before the curse was cast. He was never affected by it.”

Regina looked over to Snow, a curious smirk on her face. “So there was room for a second person to come through and you sent a _child_ to care for your daughter?”

Snow quickly looked down to hide her tears but gathered herself and looked at Regina angrily. “We were told there was only room for one to go through. Pinocchio had already gone. I _never_ would have abandoned Emma!” She struggled to keep her voice steady.

Emma twisted her fingers into knots. This was not a subject she enjoyed. She still felt angry about the whole situation and this wasn’t helping.

“But that doesn’t explain _why_ he chose to come back.” Regina continued. “What brought him to Storybrooke?”

“Because he knew about the curse,” Emma explained. “And he felt it was his job to try and get me to believe. He took me to that tree that we came through.” Her voice was climbing in volume, but she didn’t seem to notice. “He told me everything about the curse and how I was the _only_ one who could break it. And yeah, it upset me,” she shot at Snow. She seemed to have forgotten the original line of conversation and that they were not alone. Feelings she had been suppressing over the last few days finally came bubbling to the surface. “You accused me of regression, but look at what I’d just had dumped on me: I was fighting to prove your innocence in a murder investigation, I’d just been told that I had no chance at trial for custody of Henry, and to top it _all_ off, a guy I’d only known a little while told me that there was a whole town of fairytale characters under an evil queen’s curse that _I_ was responsible for saving. So yeah, I picked up Henry and tried to leave town.”

Regina snapped to attention. “You did WHAT?!”

Henry was looking between the two women, his mouth slightly open in shock, but Emma hadn’t taken notice of any of it. “You sent a _baby_ to another world _alone_. You put the weight of saving all of these people on _me_!” She’d lost some of her control, and her emotions betrayed her anger as she started to cry.

“Emma,” Snow soothed.

“ _No!_ ” She pushed through her tears. “No, don’t try to explain! I have been overwhelmed by so much crap lately. My son, from ten years ago, shows up at my door, drags me to a small town where I become immediate enemies – for reasons I didn’t know about – with my son’s mother, who also happened to be the mayor. I wind up Sheriff, move in and become friends with the woman who turns out to be _my_ _mother_ , who – oh, by the way! – is Snow White! I then proceed to protect her from the heartbreak of my cheating father, Prince Charming, and from the wrath of Mayor Evil Queen  when she’s wrongly imprisoned for the murder of Prince Charming’s fake wife. I make the decision to leave town, but Regina _still_ tries to poison me, Henry eats the poison to prove to me that the whole fairytale thing is real, I find out that every Disney character I grew up with is real, the Evil Queen who raised my son takes me on a quest to save him – at the suggestion of Rumpelstiltskin – but Henry dies anyway.” Her voice cracked here but she plowed through. “But I woke him and broke the curse, giving back the memories of some fairytale world to everyone in town. Now we have to prepare for some kind of magical showdown with the Evil Queen’s mother and the Mad-Hatter from Wonderland. I can’t TAKE ANYMORE!” She stood up with such force that her chair tipped over and she strode angrily over to the door. “I was perfectly happy living a normal life in Boston! You should have just left me alone!” The door slammed shut behind her.

After a moment of stunned silence, Snow stood as well. James made to follow her, but she waved him back down. “Stay here with Henry. I’ll go.” She gave Regina a burning look of pure hatred before hurrying out the door herself.

James was upset at having to stay behind. He wanted to help Emma. The entire situation seemed hopeless. He wished there was some way to go back in time and fix everything, give Emma the life she deserved and that he and Snow had wanted for her. “That was low, Regina.” Although his voice held anger, there was a lot of pain behind the words. “Sending Emma through alone almost killed Snow. I don’t know what she did to you, but whatever it was, you’ve paid her back in full. _No one_ should have to go through what she has.”

Regina became the Evil Queen once more as her voice dropped and her eyes darkened dangerously. “You have _no idea_ what she did to me.”

“No, but I do know that you’ve taken everything from _her_. Her father, her daughter, even our entire world. You separated us and made sure that she was miserable here. How could anyone be deserving of all of that?”

“Her punishment fit the crime!” she hissed. “And if I had the choice, I’d do it all again! Snow White is not the innocent everyone thinks she is.”

“You didn’t just hurt Snow White, though, did you?!” The anger in James’ voice made everyone move back. “You made sure every last person in this town suffered under the curse!”

“It was _my_ turn for a happy ending!  _My_ turn! I was sick and tired of watching everyone else live their happy, ignorant little lives!”

“Well, you made sure to put an end to all of _that_!”

“STOP!!!” Henry suddenly shouted, face red and tear-stained. They both turned to him, shocked. “ _Please_ stop arguing! Emma was right, this is all my fault! I shouldn’t have brought her here. It was a stupid idea!”

He ran up to the loft before either of them could respond. They heard things being slammed onto the floor, including something made of glass that shattered loudly as it hit.

Regina started toward the stairs, but James stopped her, blocking her path with an arm.

“I think you’ve done quite enough for today, don’t you?”

There was fire in his eyes and she flinched, thinking painfully of how much damage she’d caused Henry. She gave a very tiny nod and wordlessly went to work clearing the table.

James disappeared upstairs and sounds of a soft conversation filtered down. The dishes clattered loudly as Regina piled them roughly into the sink. She kept her back to Annie and Grace, not wanting them to see the tears in her eyes. She hated Snow, she hated the people in this town, and she hated that the curse had been broken. Trying to deal with all of that and keep Henry on her side was proving to be an impossible task. She wasn’t sure it was one she could pull off. She scrubbed the dishes with as much force as she could, her hands burning in the hot water. It was all she could do not to scream and use her magic to burn this place to the ground. All of this work, and she’d come full circle back to where they’d all left off. Something had to change. That, she was sure of.


	18. Chapter 18

Snow finally gave up her search for Emma. Her daughter was simply nowhere to be found. She’d wanted her alone time and she’d made sure that was exactly what she got.

Truth be told, Snow was a little relieved not to have to face that discussion yet. It promised to be a very tearful and pain-filled experience for all involved.

Not quite ready to face everyone yet, either, she found herself wandering the streets of Storybrooke. It calmed her. It may not be the world she’d grown up in, but it had become home. She knew this place as well as any.

“Snow!” Snow jumped slightly at her name, not having seen anyone else around. She was happy to find Red when she turned.

“Hey!” The two women hugged and Red joined Snow as they continued down the sidewalk.

“We haven’t really had a chance to catch up since the curse broke.” Red glanced sideways at Snow, knowing something was troubling her best friend. “Want to talk about it?” She tilted her head and gave Snow a slightly mischievous look. “I’m a _very_ good listener. You know, big ears and all.”

Snow chuckled a bit, shaking her head. It was nice to have her best friend back but it seemed she had retained a bit of Ruby’s playfulness. It was odd to know this world knew their stories, even if they had gotten several of the details wrong.

“Right, because your ears are a bit large for your face,” she said, mock-studying her. “I’d always wondered about that.”

“Oh, shut up,” Red laughed, lightly pushing her friend’s shoulder. “My ears are perfectly average. Well, except for the whole super-hearing thing.”

They continued to walk and Snow’s smile slowly faded. After a few moments of silence, Snow finally broached the troubling topic. “It’s Emma. She exploded at breakfast this morning. She’s…having trouble adjusting.”

“I’m surprised it took her _this_ long.” Red met Snow’s eye as she turned to her with a shocked expression. “Well, come on, I mean, she grew up in this world. All of our lives are made-up bedtime stories here. Imagine how she must have felt being plunged into the knowledge that it was all real and that she had a very important part in it. I don’t think I would’ve handled it as well as she did.”

Snow remained silent, trying to put herself in Emma’s place.

“Don’t worry,” Red continued. “She was just blowing off some steam. Emma’s cool; she’ll come around.”

Snow had to smile at the use of this world’s slang. It rolled off her tongue so naturally, you’d think she’d been born to this world as well.

“It’s strange,” Snow remarked quietly. “One day, she’s a baby in my arms. Brand new and I’m not sure if I’ll ever see her again. The next, she’s a full-grown woman, older than me. What do I do with that?”

“You overcome it, just like every other challenge you’ve ever faced. Yes, it will be awkward for a while, but you’ll get it figured out.”

“But I’ve missed so much. She’s my baby; I’m supposed to raise her. Teach her everything about life.”

Red looked at Snow, staying quiet for a moment. “Maybe that’s part of the problem. It could be your first step to fix things between you and Emma.”

Snow crossed her arms in confusion. “What could?”

Red tried to phrase her words carefully, but there wasn’t really a gentle way to put it. “You’re going about things with Emma as if you’ll get a second chance. Like somehow, you’ll be able to go back in time and do everything over again the way you wanted everything to happen. It must be unimaginably difficult to let go of a life you’d been dreaming about what felt like just a few days ago, but it’s been twenty-eight years. She’s not a baby anymore, and those dreams will never happen.”

Seeing Snow’s face fall was painful for Red, but she knew it had to be said. Although these things seemed obvious, it was clear that Snow had been living in denial.

“You have to start fresh, Snow. You have to create new dreams. Emma may not be a baby, but she’s here, and she’s still your daughter. You haven’t lost your chance to be an important part of her life.”

Snow wiped away tears that had made their way down her face. “You’re right, Red. Thank you.” They wrapped their arms around each other’s waists as they continued their walk. “Now, can we please talk about something less depressing?” Snow begged.

“How ‘bout that Charming?” Red whistled her approval. Snow laughed. “Girl, how’d you land a man that good-looking? And a prince, too? You’ve got to tell me your secret.”

* * *

There was no specific trail that Emma was following, which was okay at the start. It meant that no one could follow her through the woods. After a long while, when she’d calmed down, she realized that it probably hadn’t been the wisest decision. She looked around at all of the trees and didn’t recognize any landmarks. She could see only woods in every single direction. She wasn’t even sure how long she’d been walking. She sat down heavily on the forest floor, physically and emotionally exhausted. She couldn’t believe she’d lost it like that in front of everyone. She hated public displays of emotion; they made her feel weak. And Henry! How could she have put _any_ of the blame on him? He was only ten!

This was the thought that spurred her to stand back up and start walking again. Sill not knowing which direction to travel, she pulled her cell phone out. “Damn!” No bars. She was a city girl, so telling direction using the position of the sun wasn’t in her skill-set. The way ahead of her looked good enough, so she continued forward. She’d have to hit something that wasn’t forest eventually, wouldn’t she?

“I wouldn’t go that way if I were you.”

Emma froze. She knew that voice. Turning to her left, she saw Jefferson headed toward her with an elaborately dressed woman at his side. Her breath caught and she found herself paralyzed with fear.

“You’re headed away from town,” Jefferson continued, as if this were a perfectly normal conversation. “I’m assuming you’re lost? That direction,” he pointed at where she’d been headed, “is forest for miles and miles. “That way is town,” he said, pointing behind her.

Emma finally found her voice. “What are you doing here?”

“This actually isn’t far from my house. And we didn’t want to take the normal roads to town. Too many people. Might get noticed.” He watched as Emma stared open-mouthed at him and Maleficent. “Oh,” he smiled. “You meant _how_ am I here? Because I’d gone through the hat, I should be off in some other world.”

Emma gave a small nod, but her gaze was now entirely on Maleficent.

“Simple, really. We just slipped through when no one was watching.”

“You’re…Cora?” Emma asked. She was thinking back to the conversation at breakfast. This was _not_ good.

“I’m insulted,” Maleficent pouted. “Do I really look old enough to be Regina’s mother? No, I’m not Cora. I’m Maleficent. And who might you be?”

Emma gaped open-mouthed at the woman. She’d killed Maleficent. At least, Regina had said Maleficent was the identity of the dragon she’d slain. She moved her mouth a couple of times in an attempt to say something, but nothing came out.

“Your name, girl?”

“Uhhh….Emma.”

“Ahhhh, so you’re the savior?” She looked Emma up and down. “I expected you to be taller.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” Emma wasn’t sure what to do. The woman she’d supposedly killed was standing in front of her and Jefferson was back. That couldn’t be a good thing. The upside was that Cora hadn’t come through. Or maybe, she just wasn’t with them right now. The thought of her lurking somewhere in the forest, unbeknownst to everyone in town, made the hair on the back of Emma’s neck stand straight on end. “Cora didn’t come here with you, did she?”

“No,” Maleficent answered, “but she’ll most likely find a way through now that she knows which world to come to. Finding a way into one world is infinitely easier than finding your way into the Hall of Doors. Especially when you’ve seen the exit from that world, which she has.”

Emma shook her head in confusion. “Okay, let’s just pretend that I understand everything you just said. How much time do we have?”

“Hard to say. It depends on how long it takes her to find the entrance. Then, of course, there’s the time difference and where the entrance leads.”

Emma made a sound of frustration. “Are we talking minutes, hours, days? It would be helpful to know.”

“It would, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, that’s the way things work. I can tell you, though, that you are wasting time. I suggest we go now. There are many things to be done.”

Maleficent strode right past her and walked toward town.

“What is happening?” Emma looked at Jefferson who shrugged and started after her.

“She does this a lot. I find it best just to follow her and not ask questions.”

“How’d you end up with her?” Emma hurried to catch up and matched her stride with his.

“I found her when I was looking for Cora.” He watched his feet. “I made a huge mistake, Emma. The Queen of Hearts is not a woman to make deals with. I should never have gone to her. I’ve been foolish, acting out of anger. I’m sorry.”

Emma was still caught up on a different statement. “Regina’s mom is the Queen of Hearts?! Man, no wonder she’s so messed up!”

“No,” he sighed. “Cora wasn’t the Queen until after Regina was grown. The point is – we’re in trouble!”

“I require a meeting with Regina,” Maleficent said from in front of them. “Can you arrange that?”

“I can take you to her.”

“Please, do.”

“I don’t think she’d be very pleased with me if I did. She’s not exactly on the best terms with either of you right now.”

“Don’t worry,” Maleficent told her confidently. “I can deal with Regina. Just take us to her.”

There was no room for argument in her tone, so Emma nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

James finally managed to talk Henry into rejoining the rest of them. Wanting to get everyone over the awkwardness of the morning, he suggested they all spend a little time outside. Henry brightened immediately at the idea, so he looked around the house and finally came up with some sidewalk chalk.

Henry raced down the stairs, bucket of chalk tucked under one arm, pulling Annie along with the other. “Come on, Annie. You have to help me. We’ll make a HUGE drawing!”

James followed more slowly, chuckling at the enthusiasm.

Grace and Regina brought up the rear. Grace smiled at Regina. “Thank you for breakfast. It was delicious!”

“You’re welcome.” Regina had stayed mostly silent since Henry had run off. She felt like she’d come to an enormous crossroads. In order to keep Henry happy, she’d have to forget about the curse entirely. If she chose the curse, how would she be able to live without Henry? What if she could have both? If she could figure out a way to somehow wipe Henry’s memory along with the rest of them it would be a possibility. She would have to find a way to write it into the curse. The thought made her sick. How could she do that to him? Yes, the idea of a Henry who didn’t know her dark past and wouldn’t grow up was appealing, but was it worth the terrible price? He wouldn’t be _her_ Henry. It was clear to her that she would be spending a lot of time thinking on this subject before making her decision. Not an easy task. With the curse broken, this world was growing more and more unbearable with each passing hour.

They emerged from the building and saw that Henry, Annie and James were already hard at work on their drawings.

“Wanna help me?” Grace asked, looking up at Regina.

She managed a small smile. “That’s alright, you go on. I’ll just watch.”

Grace shrugged and looked carefully through the bucket of chalk, selecting a blue one and a purple one.

Regina leaned against a nearby tree, crossing her arms and watching as the girl set to work, biting her lip in concentration. Regina looked up as she noticed movement off to her side.

Snow and Red were approaching arm in arm. Red was saying something and Snow was laughing. “You didn’t!”

“I totally did. The entire plate of food was in the guy’s lap. He deserved it! It was worth not getting a tip.”

They stopped short as they noticed Regina watching them. They were all saved from the awkward confrontation, however, when James also noticed their arrival. “Snow!” He stood, dusting the chalk off on his jeans. “Hey, Red!” He approached, giving Snow a kiss, and pulled back, a question in his eyes.

“I couldn’t find her.” Snow answered the unasked question. “But I’m sure she’ll come back as soon as she’s cooled off a bit. All of this is a lot to process.”

He nodded. “She will. I’m sure it won’t be too long.”

“Hey, Ruby,” Henry called, then looked sheepish. “Sorry, I mean Red.”

“It’s cool, kid. You can call me whatever you want.”

“I’ll call you Red. Do you want to help with the drawing?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think I’m a little old for sidewalk chalk?”

Henry nodded. “Yeah, but so am I. And grandpa and Annie. I just thought it would be fun to take a break and do something I haven’t done in a long time.”

“In that case,” Red smiled, “I would be honored. Smart kid,” she told James and Snow. “You should keep him around.”

She joined Henry on the ground, where a large castle was beginning to take shape. Snow walked closer, noticing the details of the scenery around the castle. “That’s home,” she said in surprise, looking at James.

“I was helping Henry recreate it. I thought it would be nice to see again.”

“Do you like it?” Henry asked eagerly.

Snow nodded, tears forming in her eyes. The drawing was crude, but it was definitely their castle. She buried herself in James’ arms. “I love you, Charming,” she told him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I love you, too. Shall we help Henry with the mountains?”

Snow nodded eagerly, and they both set to work.

Regina looked on darkly.

* * *

Once Jefferson had brought them clear of the forest, Emma took over. She was surprised to see that they’d already come most of the way, so it didn’t take long for them to arrive on the correct street.  From there, they could clearly see everyone out in front of the building. They were all working with sidewalk chalk, except Regina, who was leaning moodily against a tree, arms crossed firmly in front of her.

No one noticed their approach. Regina was too engrossed in thought and everyone else was focused on their drawing. The trio was coming from the side and had reached a point where surely Regina would see them, but she was distracted as Grace stood from her drawing and approached her.

Jefferson abruptly stopped walking and watched in horror as his little girl looked up at Regina, smiling. He couldn’t hear the words, but it was clear his daughter was speaking. She reached up with both hands, grabbing Regina’s and pulling her forward. Regina finally gave in, holding the girl’s hand as Grace led her to her drawing.

Jefferson couldn’t watch any longer. “Get away from my daughter!”

Everyone jumped, but when Regina turned around, her eyes immediately found Maleficent, not Jefferson, and her face went white.

“Surprised to see me, dear?” Maleficent asked calmly.

“But…Emma killed you.”

Emma made a small strangled noise and Maleficent turned to look at her with interest. “So,” she said, her tone dangerous, “you’re the one. Regina didn’t have the guts to do it herself after all.”

“Yeah, about that….No hard feelings. I was just trying to save my son.”

“Oh, I understand. Regina would have been the one to set the whole thing up.”

There was silence as everyone’s focus shifted to Regina. She didn’t notice the new attention. She was furiously searching her mind for anything that made this situation possible. Nothing came to mind. Except… “You separated your two halves?”

Maleficent clapped. It echoed in the empty street, making it an eerily hollow sound. “Bravo. You’ve always been a smart one. Just with very bad judgment.”

Regina ignored the comment, still looking flustered. “But that’s impossible. Splitting one’s self would require…”

“A great sacrifice? Yes, much like the one you made to enact the Dark Curse.”

Regina flinched and everyone looked at her curiously. No one knew how exactly the curse had come to be. It became clear that they wouldn’t learn anything more today, either, when Maleficent straightened, her face clearing of the anger. “That is all discussion for another day. We’re all in danger, and steps must be taken. There are keys to every situation, and you, Regina, happen to have such a key in your possession.”

Regina narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Annie, darling, would you come closer?” Maleficent beckoned with her hand.

Everyone’s gaze shifted to Annie who was standing, hands still covered in chalk, with her mouth open. “M…m…me?”

“Yes, dear, you.”

Annie wiped her now shaking hands on her pants and approached Maleficent cautiously.

“My, you’ve become such a beauty. It’s no wonder, with parents like yours.”

The fear in Annie’s expression was quickly replaced by curiosity. “You knew my parents?”

“Yes. They were quite famous until their execution. Of course, that was not public knowledge. Not many knew about their deaths. They seemed to just disappear.” She looked sadly at Annie. “It’s a shame your memories will bring so much pain, but I’m afraid it’s necessary if you’re to be useful.”

“You know about my memory loss? Can you fix it?” she asked eagerly.

“Oh, no, dear, I’m afraid that’s a bit beyond my ability. Different sort of magic, you see. But I know who can.”

“What are you talking about?” Regina hated when people danced around answers. “And how is Annie the key?”

“Well, I’m sure you know she was born with special abilities.”

“My hair,” Annie said, running her fingers through her now plain tresses. “But how is that helpful? I don’t even have that power anymore.”

“But that is just the beginning of your powers,” Maleficent laughed. “Oh, you have so much more potential. And that, my dear, is what makes you so important. And also, why we must get your memory back.”

Regina shook her head. “I haven’t been able to figure out what kind of spell was used.”

“It wasn’t a spell, exactly,” Maleficent’s eyes sparkled. “Have you really forgotten that much of your childhood?”

Regina suddenly gasped in surprised realization. To everyone’s shock, so did Jefferson.

“He did this?” Jefferson asked, watching Regina.

“I haven’t seen him in years,” Regina remarked.

“Who?” Annie was confused, but no one was paying attention.

“We’ll have to go to him, then,” Regina said. “In which case, we need the hat.”

“No,” Maleficent smiled again. “That can be Annie’s first lesson.”

“What do you mean?” Jefferson asked. “No one can travel there without the hat.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Maleficent told him.

“But the only people who can travel without a hat are…”

“Precisely,” Maleficent confirmed. “And Annie is just one such individual. She holds that power within her.”

“But how can she do it without her memory?” Regina wondered.

“Because she was born with the ability. She need only think about what it is she wants to accomplish. This particular power does not require memory; only belief.”

“What are you all talking about?” Emma interrupted. Snow and James looked at her.

Red was nodding. “You’re all sounding kinda crazy right now.”

Grace had made her way over to her father and reached up to grasp his hand tightly. “Please don’t go anywhere, Papa.”

“He won’t have to, my dear,” Maleficent told her. She turned back to Annie. “Are you ready?”

Annie shook her head. “No. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ll help you. But before I do, there is one other matter that should be attended to.” She leaned close to Regina, whispering softly in her ear.

Everyone watched in fascination as the expression on Regina’s face went from blank, to shock, to anger, to a grudging nod. “Very well,” she said. “I will have to deal with that infuriating little imp when we get back!”

It was obvious Rumpelstiltskin had something to do with the whispered secret, but no one had a chance to ask.

“It’s time, then,” Maleficent said. “Annie, take Regina’s hand.”

“What?”

“You’ll need her with you. Unless of course, you want to try and figure out all of this on your own?”

Annie silently stepped up to Regina and placed her hand in Regina’s outstretched one.

“Good. Now, close your eyes and imagine a circular room.”

Annie did as she was told.

“Imagine the walls of this room are covered with doors. All different colors, shapes, designs. Tell your mind to go there.”

“What?” Annie asked, her eyes popping open. “This is ridiculous.”

“No,” Maleficent said impatiently. “I told you, all it takes is belief. Now, try again. Only this time, more forcefully.”

“Alright.” Annie closed her eyes again. She focused with all her might on that room and she screamed at her mind to go there. She felt exhausted by the effort. “This is stupid! It’s never going to work!” But when she opened her eyes, they were no longer standing on the street. They were in the middle of the circular room and Regina was smiling.

“You did it!”


	19. Chapter 19

“I don’t understand,” Annie shook her head and looked to Regina for answers. She hadn’t felt a thing. “Did I do that? How?”

“It’s complicated to explain. We should wait until you have your memories back. Things will make more sense then.”

Annie looked all around her, studying the doors. She’d never seen anything like it. “Where do all of these doors go?”

“Each door opens into another world. These are only a very few of the thousands that exist. Some of the doors lead to other rooms like this. Now come along, Annie, we don’t want to waste time.”

They approached a large stone-bricked wall. It had a statue of an owl of to one side and moss growing in the cracks.

“This isn’t a door,” Annie looked at Regina in confusion.

“It doesn’t look like a door, but it’s the way inside.”

“But…how? There’s no handle or anything.”

“There doesn’t need to be.” She stepped forward and was somehow past it, although the wall was still behind her.

“What?” Annie didn’t understand how such a thing was possible.

“Let’s go.” She turned and walked, disappearing to the side.

“Your Majesty?” Annie said fearfully. She didn’t want to be left behind.

“Come on, Annie. Just follow me.” The voice came from not too far away.

Annie stepped forward cautiously, and realized that what had appeared to be only one wall was actually two. She’d stepped through the opening in the first. She was standing in the middle of an impossibly long pathway that led off in either direction, the brick walls lining both sides. She stuck her head out and could see the room full of doors. The flat wall had only been an illusion.

“Annie!” She jumped as the Queen called her and she hurried to catch up. She had to dodge roots and little pieces of brush as she ran down the path.

“What is this world?”

“We’re not actually there yet,” Regina was busy staring at the moss-covered walls as she walked quickly past them. “Ahhh. Here we are.” She stopped.

Annie looked all around her, but didn’t see anything that was any different from the rest of the pathway. “There’s nothing here.”

“This,” the Queen pulled on a branch and Annie saw a very tiny flower growing off a small vine wrapped around it, “means that the entrance should be right…” she turned around, “here! Perfect!”

Annie couldn’t believe it. There hadn’t been anything there a moment ago, only a brick wall. But now, there was a short path that led to two different doors with giant brass knockers on them. They were large heads and one of them began to speak as they approached – some riddle about which door to choose.

“Oh, save it!” Regina said impatiently. “I know which door I want.” She strode to the door on the left, opening it and waving Annie inside.

Once they’d stepped through, Annie stopped in her tracks. “We don’t have to go through _that_ , do we?” Sprawled in front of them was a seemingly endless labyrinth, stretching out in all directions. However, somewhere toward the center, way off in the distance, Annie could make out a castle.

“It’s not as bad as you think. But no, we won’t be going through. Take my hand.”

Annie did as she was told and she felt the strange sensation of being wisped apart, like smoke, and then reassembled again. It was a much softer feeling than when they’d appeared behind Snow’s apartment. They were now standing at the top of the stairs leading up to the castle. Looking around her, Annie could see the labyrinth stretching out in all directions. When she looked back up at the castle, there was a sudden flash of familiarity. It was extremely brief, but in that fraction of a second, Annie was flooded with feelings of fear, confusion, terrible loss, and desperation. “I have to get out of here,” she said quietly. She started down the steps.

“Annie, what are you doing?” Regina started after her.

“I have to get out of here!” This time, the statement was yelled.

Regina caught up to her at the base of the stairs. She grabbed Annie by the shoulders, turning her around quickly to face her. “And just where do you think you’re going to go? The labyrinth?”

Annie stared at her for a moment. She couldn’t explain the sudden need to flee. It had come on so unexpectedly. She jumped — and even the Queen seemed to be caught off guard — when a voice interrupted.

“You might find my labyrinth to be quite entertaining.” It was said in something very similar to a British accent.

Annie faced the man who had spoken and couldn’t help but stare. He was dressed in a dark jacket with a high collar that became more of a cape at the back, and tight leggings with dark boots that came halfway to his knees. His hair was layered so that half of it fell below his shoulders and the other half splayed out in all directions. He wore eye makeup that was dramatic, dark, and made him look rather sinister.

“Regina. It’s been far too long. Why haven’t you come to visit me lately?”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Yes, look at you. All grown up. And dressed rather oddly. This can’t be the new look of your world?”

“Not…exactly.”

“Why don’t you come inside? We’re celebrating. New member.”

“No, I’m afraid we don’t have time today. We’ve come about a very specific problem.”

The man seemed to truly notice Annie for the first time. “And who might this lovely little lady be?”

“I’m Annie,” she stood a little straighter when she said it. He had begun to walk a circle around her, as if sizing her up. “Who are you?”

He clicked his tongue. “Coming to my world and you don’t even know who I am? My dear, I am the Goblin King. Tell me, what is it you came here for?”

“My memories.”

He stopped abruptly and looked into her eyes carefully. “Little Annie. I didn’t even recognize you.”

“So you _are_ the one who took her memories?” Regina asked him. He gave her a sharp nod.

“And you can give them back?” Annie asked cautiously. The Goblin King made her feel uneasy and she still hadn’t fully shaken the horrible feelings that had accompanied their arrival.

“I can, but are you sure you _want_ me to?”

“What do you mean?” Annie asked.

“You were only a small child when Elise brought you to me. Seven or eight. Quite a distraught little thing. Traumatized, too, it seems. You couldn’t say a word. She said you’d been like that for days. That’s why she brought you to me. The only way to make you calm down was to take your memories.”

Annie looked at Regina, but Regina didn’t say anything. She was watching her with interest. “Give them back,” Annie finally said. She managed to sound completely sure of herself, although inside, she wasn’t so positive.

He clicked his tongue again. “Such a pity.” He took a crystal ball from his jacket and began twirling it in his fingers and around his hand. He tossed it to Annie, who quickly reached up to catch it. When she opened her hands, however, it was no longer a crystal ball. It was a peach.

Regina stepped forward. “I thought that’s what you used to take memories in the first place.”

“It is.” He nodded. “And normally, memories would return on their own once the person stopped consuming the fruit, if it’s done in time. Our little Annie, however, had quite the dose. And it’s been so long, it’s worked even more strongly. I imagine that every once in a while, you had little glimpses?”

Annie nodded quietly.

“There was a lot to suppress with you. That,” he pointed to the peach, “is a sort of antidote. Eat it, and you should remember everything that was forgotten.”

Annie raised it, ready to take a bite.

“Not here,” he said, stopping her. “I’d go somewhere where no one can interrupt you. The memories don’t just pop back into your head, you see.”

Annie looked at him curiously. “What _does_ happen?”

“They do all come back, but the most major moments of your life play out in front of you. They’re there for anyone to see.”

“Why?”

“I designed it that way. More fun to share. It does the same thing as you forget, too. Your mind creates a disjointed dream that distracts you from everything.”

“Why didn’t it do that for me?”

“It did. It only lasts long enough for you to completely forget everything. It confuses you so that you become easily susceptible to whatever new memories anyone wants to plant in your head.”

Turning the peach slowly, Annie stared at it. It all seemed so strange. Her memories were only one bite away.

“We should go now,” Regina said, interrupting her thoughts. Annie nodded.

“Next time, don’t wait so long to visit,” he said to Regina. “You used to liven the place up quite a bit.”

She nodded and held her hand out to Annie, who once again took it. The walk from the entrance of the world to the Hall of Doors passed very quickly for Annie.

Regina led the way to a very elegant door with beautiful designs carved into it, and pulled the handle.

They stepped through and Annie gazed around in wonder at the beautiful view. “Oh, wow,” she breathed. They were standing near a cliff’s edge, overlooking a lush green valley, rolling hills, forest, and a beautiful sparkling lake. Perched on the edge of the lake was a very large castle. “Why choose this world? Where are we?”

“I chose this world because there’s no one in it. Don’t you recognize it? It’s our world.”

Annie shook her head. “I’ve never really seen much of our world.” She returned her gaze to the peach and lifted it slowly, resting it against her closed lips. She shut her eyes, breathing deeply for a moment, then took a very large bite. Her eyes shot open once again. So many feelings came rushing into her, she couldn’t sort through them all. Then, suddenly, they paused and she and Regina found themselves standing in a grand hall of some sort. It was monstrously large, with a crystalline shape to the structure, and walls of glass that stretched up high above their heads, meeting in edges and points. Outside were clouds. The building was somehow suspended high, high above the ground. Behind them was a staircase as wide as the room and it extended down beyond their eyesight. In front of them was a long table upon a platform with ten chairs lined up behind it.

The place was familiar to Annie, but Regina was staring around with wide eyes. “I’ve heard about this place, but no one outside of this world has ever been permitted to see it.”

“This is my world,” Annie said. It was a strange feeling. She remembered, but the memories were foggy. She’d been very young in this memory. “I think…I think that this was my second birthday. That was something important here. Something big happens in this world when you turn two.”

“Do you remember what?”

Annie shook her head. It was frustrating. She could only remember up to this point, and she’d been so young, the memories didn’t really make much sense to her so far.

They turned as they heard someone coming up the stairs. They could see from a distance that it was a small family. There was a very young girl in the arms of her mother, clapping happily at something her older brother was doing to entertain her. The boy looked to be about fourteen. Their father looked on with a wide smile.

“That’s me! That’s my family!” Annie shouted, immediately recognizing the people in front of her, although she still couldn’t make out their faces from this distance.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Annie laughed happily, overwhelmed with warmth and love. This was her family, the people she belonged with.

They were finally close enough that Annie could see all of them clearly. She watched each of them, memorizing everything she could.

Regina was staring herself, but not at the whole family. Her attention was only on the boy. It was impossible! The features were his, but they were much younger; it was hard to tell. Those eyes, however, were unmistakably his. But it couldn’t be.

“Daniel?” she whispered.

“Daniel, could you please take Annie for a moment? Your father and I need to let the council know that we’re here.”

“Sure. Come here, Annie.” The boy smiled at his baby sister as she reached toward him.

Annie managed to tear her eyes away from her family for a moment to look at Regina. “How did you know his name was Daniel?”

Regina opened her mouth to answer, but just then, Daniel started to speak. Her attention turned back to him once again, present Annie completely forgotten. Daniel was here! Right in front of her!

Annie couldn’t help but watch, either.

“Hey, Annie! It’s a big day for you! Do you know why?”

“My berfday!!” she clapped her hands again happily.

“But not just any birthday,” he told her. “It’s your second birthday. We’re going to talk to the council, but your powers are already showing. That means you’re going to be a traveler just like mom and dad, and me, once I turn eighteen!”

“Yay!” she laughed. So did the older Annie.

“I remember now! Mom and Dad brought the family to the council after the elders talked to me. My destiny as a traveler was decided today.” She glanced at Regina, but found the Queen still staring at Daniel intensely, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Your Majesty?”

It took Regina a while to pull her eyes away from the young boy, and when she did she looked at Annie with a haunted expression.

“You’re dead.”


	20. Chapter 20

Everything was so horribly confusing but also crystal clear for the first time in Annie’s life. Her memories were coming back to her and it was all beginning to make sense, but at the same time, more and more questions were cropping up. Where was her family? What world was this that they called home? How had she ended up with Elise? Why was she the key to everything that was happening? The most unsettling question was, why had Regina turned to her so eerily and stated that she was dead? Annie couldn’t find a moment in the chaos of her memories to ask. The scene in front of them had disappeared and Annie found herself once again buried in memories as they all came forcefully back. She was grateful when the next scene appeared and she could catch her breath.

“Annie! Annie, where’d you go? Come on, we’re going to be late!” Daniel was rushing around a sort of apartment. It was a much smaller version of the room they had just been in. The walls were made of glass; however, the view afforded by these windows was much further down in the sky. Rivers, lakes and mountains could be made out from this height, and it was all gorgeous. The room was furnished in what very closely resembled the modern fashion of the world they’d just spent twenty-eight years in. It all had a slightly futuristic look to it.

Regina stared openly at everything. Her statement about Annie temporarily forgotten, she looked around in curiosity. How could this be Daniel’s world? The Daniel she’d known and loved had lived such a happily simple life. He’d never once mentioned another world; especially not this one. Everything here was advanced, even compared to Storybrooke standards. How could they have spent those years together and he had not once mentioned this entirely different life?

A young Annie, now about four, appeared from around a corner, her arm stuck into one inside out sleeve of a jacket, the other side twisted around and out of reach so that she was groping helplessly to find it. She wore a very frustrated look on her face.

Daniel had to hold in a smile so that he didn’t offend his younger sister. “Alright; come on, let me help you. We’ll miss it if we’re late.”

She hurried to his side and he helped her turn her jacket right side out and slip her arms into it. He then took her hand and pressed his other one flat against a screen on an inside wall.

The living room morphed into hills at the foot of a magnificent mountain. High above their heads, Annie could just make out all of the tiny shapes in the sky that must be the homes in this world. Daniel pulled his sister forward, Regina and Annie trailing behind, unseen. Both were silent: Regina from shock, and Annie from the concentration of soaking up every second possible.

“I think we made it,” Daniel said, smiling down at his sister. They sat on large boulders that allowed a wide view of the foothills below.

“The horses,” the present Annie breathed.

Sure enough, almost undetectable at first, there was a faint sound, similar to the beginnings of thunder. As it grew louder, it became recognizable as hundreds of hooves, and soon, over one of the hills below, wild horses appeared. They spilled out over the hills gracefully, cantering freely across the land. They were all colors ranging from the darkest black to a striking white, and they all ran together. Daniel had positioned them a safe distance from the band of gorgeous creatures, but as the horses began to slow their movement, he once again took Annie’s hand and led them down toward the herd.

“The horses only came through this land once every month,” Annie remembered aloud. “It was the only time we could ever see them. Living in the sky, we had no proper place to keep them and Daniel always told me that they deserved more love and respect than we could ever give them living so far away. They were to be thought of as intelligent beings, just like us. If we couldn’t give them the proper attention, the only right thing was to let them roam free.” They approached a horse that had come to a halt and was grazing on the grass. It was a beautiful chestnut mare with a dark mane flowing out in the slight breeze. Daniel was stroking the mare’s neck, saying things softly into her ear. “Daniel loved horses. And they loved him.” Daniel carefully hoisted Annie onto the horse’s back and pulled himself up behind her. He gave the horse a very slight nudge with his foot and she began to move forward, slowly at first and then, with Daniel’s encouragement, began to trot around the field. “This was the first time he let me come with him to visit them. It was his special place and he told me that I was finally old enough to share it with him.” She turned and was surprised to find Regina with a ghost of a smile and tears in her eyes, watching as the horse made her way around the hillside.

“You knew my family,” Annie said, those horrible words floating back to the surface. “You said that I was supposed to be dead. How did you know them?” She was growing agitated, possible scenarios playing themselves out in her head. This was the Evil Queen. Had she played some part in her parents death? Perhaps she’d meant to kill Annie as well, but then, later, found her too useful to finish the job. That didn’t seem possible, given the odd relationship that had come from their twenty-eight years together. The Queen had been cruel and heartless on many occasions, but killing an entire family was not something Annie could ever imagine her doing. Besides, the expression she currently wore was far too soft for her to have had any part in something so terrible.

Regina was nodding, trying to make sense of the strange connection that had appeared and the fact that here Annie was, alive and standing next to her. As she had apparently been for many years. Looking at Annie now, she could suddenly see all of the things she’d somehow overlooked. Daniel’s smile, the way his brow creased when he was concerned, just as Annie’s was doing now. Their slightly wavy, light brown hair. Really, the only difference between the siblings was their eyes.

The hillside changed and they found themselves back in the house in the sky. The small family was sitting around the table, finishing up a meal. Regina gasped. A few more years had passed, and Daniel now looked exactly as he had the day they had first met. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she knew he wasn’t real. He was only a memory.

“Is everyone ready for today?” Porter asked. “Big day for you, Daniel. Your first supervised visit on your own. Are you excited?”

Daniel nodded his head. “They’re giving me an easy world. Dax is taking me. If I do well on this visit, I’ll only have nine more before they start giving me my own assignments.”

Adelle smiled proudly at her son. “You’ll do well,” she said confidently. “I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. Your second birthday seems like only yesterday. I was so happy when they told us that you’d become a traveler just like your father and I. And now, here you are, ready to begin that life. Annie’s already six, coming along with us like you used to, learning about the different worlds.” She looked at Porter, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. “Look at our children. Aren’t we the luckiest parents?”

Porter nodded, beaming back at his wife and his two children. “We are.” He set his napkin beside his plate and stood up. “Alright. Daniel, will you take Annie to wash up? We’ll leave as soon as you’re done.”

It was only another minute before the family was gathered back in the living room and Daniel took Annie’s hand.

The Hall of Doors appeared next and there was another man waiting there for them.

“Dax, I’m so happy that you’ll be joining Daniel. Which world are you two visiting today?” Porter wondered.

“Oz. Want to make sure that wizard’s not getting any funny ideas,” he chuckled. “You know how he gets sometimes.”

Porter and Adelle smiled knowingly.

Annie looked on, a funny knot twisting in her stomach. The conversation seemed pleasant enough, but for some reason, she couldn’t shake the growing feeling of dread. This was all seeming very familiar.

Daniel gave little Annie a quick hug and kissed his mother’s cheek. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”

The family waved as Daniel and Dax disappeared behind a green curtain.

“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Adelle asked her daughter. The girl nodded eagerly.

Annie’s blood turned to ice as she suddenly recognized the memory she was about to relive.

“Come on, darling.” The beautiful woman held her hand out, smiling.

The girl took it willingly. “Where are we going, Mommy?”

“To a world so wonderful, they call it Wonderland.”


	21. Chapter 21

Annie couldn’t watch it again. The forgotten fragments of her dreams that night were now all vivid memories in her head. She closed her eyes tightly as fresh tears escaped and she sunk down to the ground, leaning into it with her hands to try to steady herself. The pain was so sharp, she felt as if it were manifesting itself physically, making it hard to breathe. She was dizzy and choking on her own sobs.

Regina watched the scene unfold. Annie’s reaction made her realize this must be what she’d been dreaming about that night in the hotel. So far it didn’t seem that traumatic. She watched with confusion as a woman, not entirely unlike herself in appearance, made her entrance into the memory. This must be her aunt Inari. Though she’d never met her, Cora had told her on a few occasions how much she resembled her younger sister.

As the memory played through, Regina began to realize with a sickening feeling what was about to take place. Inari had wanted the secrets of the travelers, and, not complying with her wishes, the couple was about to be executed. She’d never known what had happened to Daniel’s parents. They’d never been brought up in conversation. Any time she had broached the subject, he’d deftly maneuvered them onto another topic.

Young Annie’s piercing screams filled the air and Regina watched as a guard, at Inari’s request, slung the screaming girl over his shoulder carelessly and marched away from the throne room. Inari glided after them, looking irritated by the girl’s cries. They finally ended up back in front of the mirror where, to Regina’s shock, Elise was waiting to meet them, Daniel bound magically beside her.

He pulled violently against his restraints when he saw his younger sister and the state she was in. “What did you do to her?” he yelled. “Annie!”

“I didn’t do anything to her,” Inari replied coolly, picking at her fingernails. “It’s your parents you should be asking about. I’m afraid they just wouldn’t cooperate. I had to have them executed.”

Daniel paled. “You stupid witch!” He screamed, face twisting in an anger Regina had never seen him express. “How could you?! Annie? Annie!” His face turned back to one of sorrow as he looked at his younger sister, who had now been set on the ground. She looked up in confusion, as if she hadn’t noticed his presence until just now. She ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his stomach, sobbing.

He turned to Elise, eyes pleading. “Please, let me loose. Let me comfort my sister.”

Elise gave them a sort of pitying glance but it quickly disappeared as Inari snapped at her. “Elise, you simpering fool, come here! Is it too much to ask for my older sister to possess some common sense? We have things to discuss.” She led Elise a short distance from the small group and pulled a pocket mirror from her dress.

Regina couldn't believe what she was hearing. Elise was her aunt? She'd never known, and surely Elise hadn't either. She turned her attention back to Inari as she placed her hand above the mirror and a small green glow made its way through. A moment later, Cora’s face appeared. After a brief explanation of events, Cora gave an exasperated sigh. “That was foolish, Inari. Don’t you ever think before you act? You’ve just killed some of the last existing travelers! There aren’t as many now with the upheavals that have taken place recently. Learn to handle your anger better.”

Inari looked annoyed at her sister’s preachiness. “I knew what I was doing. I’m tired of these other-worlders not cooperating. Somebody has to send them a message! They can’t keep these powers all to themselves. Anyway,” she said, continuing, although her tone had shifted to one of boredom. “We have two young travelers right here. I’m placing them in your care. You are to let me know if any of their powers come to light. I realize they are too young still for them to have any real usefulness, but I believe that will change in time.”

“You are passing them onto _me_?” Cora asked incredulously. “I already have one child to look after. Isn’t that enough?”

“You don’t have to personally watch over them. The boy is old enough to take care of both himself and his sister. Simply employ him as one of your hands and put them in a little shack somewhere. I don’t care. I only ask that you alert me if new abilities emerge. I imagine the little girl would be willing to share if she ever possessed the same power as her parents.”

“Very well, but I won’t forget this, Inari.”

“Nor do I expect you to, my dear sister. I will be in your debt.” She snapped the mirror shut and turned to Elise. “You will accompany them on their journey, but leave them be once they are with Cora.” Her older sister nodded and Inari made her exit, her guards quick to follow behind her.

Elise looked at the children. She pulled Annie off of Daniel and to her side, the little girl struggling against her the entire time. “You will take us through, Daniel.” She gestured at the mirror. “If you give me any trouble at all, I will see to it that your darling little sister will grow up alone, without any family.”

Daniel shot her a defiant look but nodded grudgingly.

The scene switched to the stables and Regina immediately recognized the setting. This had been the morning that she’d met Daniel and Annie for the first time.

Daniel was bent down, straightening Annie’s dress. She appeared to barely register what he was doing. Her gaze was far-off, lost. Thrown back into that time, Regina’s heart ached for the little girl she’d grown so close to. She wanted to reach out and comfort the her, but knew that it was impossible. The sound of crying reminded her that it wasn’t. Although now grown, Annie was right here in front of her and had just lived through the same tragedy.

Regina hesitated as she looked down at her, still curled up on the ground. She was no longer gasping for air. She’d managed to calm herself to a quiet crying and was sitting with her knees tucked up under her chin, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She was watching the scene before her through her tears. Knowing that this was the same Annie – though she still didn’t know how it was possible – she reached out, touching her shoulder softly.

Annie jerked back in fear, looking up at her. Regina suddenly realized that Annie still only knew her as the Evil Queen. She hadn’t remembered yet that they’d known each other long before that. She wanted to explain, to fix everything so that she could help Annie, but Daniel started speaking and Regina realized that Annie would find out soon enough, anyway.

“We’re lucky to be working in the stables,” he was saying. “We’ll get to see horses every day.”

Annie nodded slowly, her expression still dead and distant. “But we’re not allowed to ride them unless we have permission,” she told him with little emotion.

He looked down. It was hard for him to see his sister like this. “That’s true.” He nodded and then looked back up at her. “But we’ll still be with them and care for them.” He watched her for a moment and then moved her chin gently with his hand, getting her to look at him. His expression grew concerned as hers hadn’t changed.

“I know it’s been hard,” he started. “But it’s only been a few days. We can be happy again.” He paused to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen into her face. “We’re meeting Cora’s daughter,” he tried, hoping to get something to interest her. “Maybe you’ll like her.”

Regina could see the obvious doubt in Annie’s expression and it was mirrored in Daniel’s own.

“Cora is mean,” Annie said. “I hate it here! I want to go home.”

“I know,” Daniel sighed. “But we can’t. You remember what Elise told us on the way here. They have magic, and if we try to go back, they’ll separate us. You don’t want that, do you?”

Annie shook her head.

“It wouldn’t matter anyway. Coming through the doorway to this world made me very tired. I’m not sure I’d be able to do it again. Just remember,” he added. “We’re not allowed to tell anyone who we are or where we’re from. Can you keep it a secret?”

She nodded. There were the sounds of soft footfalls and Regina appeared a moment later. Daniel spun Annie around and pulled him against her, his hands on her shoulders.

Present Annie lifted her head off of her knees to watch in wonder as this younger Regina appeared. There was also a dawning recognition.

Even Regina stared at herself. Yes, it had been her several years younger, but that didn’t account for the difference between the two. This Regina was happy, bright-eyed, and with a bounce in her step. Her face lacked any of the dark make-up she’d come to wear every day, and her hair was done up in a simple braid. This was a version of herself she hadn’t seen in the mirror for several decades. She’d almost forgotten how she’d once looked.

“You must be the new stable-boy,” she smiled. “I’m Regina.”

“I’m Daniel, milady.” He stood straight, as if at attention. “This is my younger sister, Annie.”

Regina smiled at him. “When my mother’s not around, you’re free to call me Regina. I don’t like all of that strict formality.”

Daniel loosened his stance slightly, but still kept his hands on his sister’s shoulders.

Regina bent to the girl’s level, smiling brightly. “Hello, Annie.”

“Hi.” Annie only made eye contact for a second before returning her gaze to the floor.

Regina remembered this moment clearly. She hadn’t known their past, but it had been obvious that they’d recently been through something horrible. Though the girl was very young, she had a deep sadness about her. Regina had made the decision in that moment to make it her new goal to banish that sadness and keep it away forever. Her mother had told her that the new hand and his child-sister would be with them for a long while. She might as well get to know them.

“Do you like horses?” Regina asked the young girl.

She nodded but didn’t say anything.

“How would you like to ride my horse today, with me?” She glanced up at Daniel. “If it’s alright with your brother?”

He nodded, and looked at Annie hopefully.

“Really?” Annie still seemed hesitant, but she looked straight into Regina’s eyes.

“Of course.”

“Okay, I guess.” She still wasn’t smiling, but there was a little more light in her eyes. Daniel looked pleased.

“We should do something with your hair so that it doesn’t get in your face while you’re riding,” he said. He looked pained as he glanced toward Regina apologetically. “I don’t know how to fix it.”

Regina glanced down to see Annie’s eyes cast downward again. There were tears in her eyes. “That’s okay,” Regina said quickly, not wanting the little girl to become upset. “I’ll braid it for you if you’d like.”

Annie didn’t say anything, but turned around and brushed all of her hair back behind her shoulders. Regina made fast work of the braid and used an extra clip from her own hair to secure it. “That should do it,” she announced when she finished. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

Daniel helped Regina bring out the horse and put on the bridle and reins. He went to retrieve a saddle, but she shook her head. “That’s alright. I think it will be easier for her to ride with me if there isn’t a saddle.”

As he led the horse outside, he looked at her. “Thank you,” he said genuinely. “She really needs this.”

“It’s my pleasure. I love to ride.”

Regina mounted the horse and Daniel helped settle Annie in front of her. Regina clicked her tongue and they were on their way.

Daniel gazed on happily as he saw the tiniest of smiles appear on Annie’s face.

Meanwhile, from the doorway of the stables, Regina felt eyes on her and looked down to see that Annie had stopped watching the scene and was now watching her.


	22. Chapter 22

“That was different,” Emma commented. Yes, she’d been a part of a similar disappearing act earlier that week, but it was just as strange to see it happen.

Henry stepped forward, toward the spot Annie and Regina had just occupied. “Where’d they go?” He tried to make the question seem mostly curious, but concern was clear in his voice.

“They’re fine, little one,” Maleficent said, looking at him with interest. “You must be Henry, the boy Regina’s been playing family with.”

James put his hand protectively on Henry’s shoulder. Maleficent hadn’t made any sort of threat, but she made everyone feel uneasy. He’d heard about her, although her reputation was not nearly as well-known as that of the Evil Queen.

“She’s my mom!” Henry said defiantly.

Maleficent looked amused. She also noticed jealousy flashing across Emma’s face at the words. “I can see she inspires quite a bit of loyalty in you. I’m surprised, given you’re the one who brought Emma here to break the curse. Nothing was more important to Regina than that curse. She couldn’t have been too pleased to see all of her hard work destroyed.”

Emma stepped in front of Henry, who had begun to look very upset. He was already in a confusing situation; there was no need to compound the problem. She looked angrily at Maleficent. “I’m sure there are better things we could be doing with our time right now. We should get a head start on that cage.”

James nodded. “We could round up everyone that will be able to help and have them all meet somewhere.”

“The apartment is too small for that,” Snow commented.

“I have a suggestion,” Red said from behind her. “How about we all meet up at Granny’s? There’s plenty of room there.”

“Works for me.” Emma looked at her parents. “We’ll need Rumpelstiltskin as well.”

James flinched, but they both nodded. They knew that it would be best if they were the ones to pay him a visit. Emma had already dealt with him enough; too much, for their liking.

Snow glanced at Henry, who didn’t seem to be following the conversation at all. He was staring at the spot where Regina had been standing. “Why don’t you take Henry straight to Granny’s?” she suggested to Emma.

Seeing what Henry was doing, Emma nodded. “Ruby? Can you help round up people who can use magic?”

“Sure, I can call Jiminy to help, too.”

Emma smiled in appreciation.

“What will Grace and I do?” Jefferson asked. Emma looked down at the girl, who was watching her father carefully. It seemed she still was a little fearful of him.

“Why don’t you guys come with me and Henry?” Grace looked relieved at the suggestion. “Maleficent will have to come, too.”

Maleficent raised an eyebrow.

“Well, we can’t exactly have you running around Storybrooke, can we?” Emma was getting tired of just standing around, so she waved at her parents. “See you guys at Granny’s.” She put her hand on Henry’s back and steered him lightly toward her sheriff’s vehicle. It was the only car large enough for all of them. She sat Grace up in front with her and Henry so that there was more room in back. Maleficent’s dress wasn’t the most practical every day wear.

Maleficent seemed to come to a similar conclusion as she slid into the backseat with as much grace as she could manage. Emma watched her with interest in the rearview mirror as she started the car. This was her first time in a motor vehicle, and although she hid it well, there were traces of fear in the woman’s eyes. A car-ride was completely foreign to her.

The drive to Granny’s was awkwardly silent, and no one made any attempt at conversation. They were all relieved, for various reasons, to arrive in front of the small diner. The familiar welcoming sound of the bell jingling as the door opened made Emma feel better, and her face broke into a smile when she saw August sitting in a corner booth at the back.

He saw her as well, gave an odd look at Maleficent, and stood. She held up a finger, telling him to wait a moment. She wanted to step away from the group and it would be nice to be able to talk to him alone for a minute. “You two,” she said, pointing at Jefferson and Maleficent, “sit. Henry,” she said more softly, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to talk to August.” He nodded silently, dropping himself with a thump onto the closest chair.

She glanced worriedly over her shoulder at him as she made her way to the back of the diner, but couldn’t help but smile when she turned back around to see August.

“What did I miss? Because apparently, it was a lot,” he said, eyeing the odd group behind her.

“You have _no_ idea.” She sat down across from him. “Where do I start? You know that dragon I killed? Maleficent?”

“Yeah?”

She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Very _not_ dead.”

“How is that possible?” He leaned forward, looking at the woman over Emma’s shoulder.

“I’m not sure, I just know that it had something to do with her sacrificing something. And then there’s the fun fact that Jefferson’s back.”

“Is that him over there?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. Guess he changed his mind on the whole revenge thing. Only problem is, he’s already set things in motion. Ruby’s out right now gathering up people to help mount some kind of defense. So are Mary Margaret and David. Everyone’s gonna be meeting here. Oh yeah, and the person we’re having to defend against is Regina’s mom.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, that was my reaction. Apparently, she’s the Queen of Hearts now.”

“So where’s Regina during all of this?”

“Well, as it turns out, Annie has some special connection to things that are happening, so she’s off getting her memories back with Regina. They disappeared about twenty minutes ago.”

“Wow.” He studied her. “How are _you_ doing?”

“Not good. I exploded on everyone at breakfast this morning. It was bad, August. I blamed Henry. I still haven’t had a chance to talk to him about it. He’s probably super confused right now. He really loves Regina, and with everything that’s happening, things are only getting worse. Everyone’s always arguing around him and about him. To top it off, I laid all of my problems on him.” She sighed, placing her head on the table. “I’m getting a migraine.” The sentence was muffled.

August placed a hand on her arm and shook it lightly. “Hey, you’ll get through this.”

She sat up. “I know.” She smiled faintly. “Bet you wish you weren’t stuck with me.”

“Emma Swan, being stuck with you is far more interesting than you realize. This is probably the worst timing in the world, but how about tonight, we grab some dinner together? Just you and me.”

“Like a date?”

“Like a date.”

She was quiet for a minute. “Yeah, okay.” She smiled for a moment. “I better go talk to Henry.” She stood up. “By the way, _best_ timing in the world.”

He chuckled as she made her way back across the diner.

* * *

Jefferson sat in a booth across from Grace. This was his chance to talk with her and try to explain everything he’d done. It pained him to see the way she was avoiding his gaze. She still looked frightened of him. He couldn’t blame her after the way he’d behaved. Looking at her carefully, he was happy to see that she’d been well-cared for in his absence. That tiny interaction he’d seen between her and Regina, however, still nagged at him.

“Grace?” he asked quietly.

“Yes, Papa?” She managed to look up at him when he spoke.

“While I was away, and you were staying with Snow White, was the Queen there for very long? How much did she talk to you?”

A small look of guilt passed over Grace’s features. “I didn’t stay with Snow White.” She gazed back down at the tabletop.

He found he could keep his voice calm if he spoke a little more slowly. “Who _did_ you stay with?”

Jefferson could barely make out the whispered reply. “Regina.”

Anger and hatred bubbled quickly to the surface, but Jefferson managed to keep himself from exclaiming aloud. Grace had trusted Regina over him? And Regina had _dared_ to take his daughter out of town with her? He couldn’t decide if he was more angry over that or more hurt by the fact that Grace had run away from him, only to find comfort in the Evil Queen’s company.

“Please don’t be mad, Papa,” Grace was nearly tripping over her words to get them out more quickly. “I went to Snow White, and the Queen was there. I was so afraid. But everything going on outside was dangerous; people were hurting each other, and there were fires. All of the grown-ups made Regina leave, and they made her take Annie, Henry and me with her. I didn’t want to go. I hated her for taking you away. But Henry promised I would be okay. He’s my friend, and I trust him. So I went, and Papa, Regina’s not so evil. She was really nice to me. She told me about how she promised you she would take care of me, and she did! And she told me—” Grace stopped herself abruptly, remembering her promise to the Queen not to tell.

“What did she tell you, Grace?”  Jefferson encouraged his daughter to continue, but she shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you. I made a promise, and you taught me never to break promises.”

Jefferson dipped his head, not wanting her to see the frustration on his face. He looked back up at her. “I know, but this is one time when it’s okay to break a promise. She’s not safe, Grace, you can’t trust her.”

Still, Grace refused. “I can’t, Papa. It wouldn’t be right. I swear it wasn’t anything bad. I liked talking to her. I don’t understand how she could do all those bad things that everyone said she did. She was really nice to us. She even let us all sleep in the bed when Annie had a really bad nightmare and woke us all up.”

Jefferson looked at her strangely. For one, he could not imagine Regina taking on the role of comforting parent. For another, it angered him to know that Regina had somehow won the loyalty and trust of his daughter, and in so short a time. He was going to have to be very careful about how he dealt with everything from this point on. He _felt_ in control, but he’d run off with a plan to destroy an entire world, scared his daughter off, and she now trusted the Evil Queen more than she trusted him. He needed to show her that he was sane again, and that he was how he used to be back when they’d been happy. A sickening feeling crept in, and he wondered if that man was irretrievable.

* * *

Snow and Charming made their way up the pathway to Rumpelstiltskin’s house, hand in hand.  The door opened before they even reached the stairs.

“My, my, my. Look what we have here. Snow White and Prince Charming reunited. You’re welcome, dearies.”

“We didn’t thank you,” Charming said bitterly. “It’s our daughter that saved us.”

“Yes, but you wouldn’t have known she was the savior if I hadn’t told you, now would you?”

“You used us and our daughter to get what you wanted.”

“No, I made deals. I did nothing that you didn’t agree to.”

“Enough!” Snow said in annoyance. “We didn’t come here to argue. We came to tell you that we’re all gathering at Granny’s Diner to move forward with our plans. We need your help.”

“Where’s Regina?”

“She’s busy.”

Rumpelstiltskin gave her a very curious look. “There’s something you’re not telling me. What is she up to?”

“Nothing to concern yourself with.”

Stepping out onto the porch, Rumpelstiltskin rested both his hands on top of his cane and leaned forward. “Interesting how things have changed, isn’t it? The last time you came to me, it was to ask for help in stopping the Queen. Now, you’ve come to help her and you’re protecting her. I wonder how wise that is?”

Snow didn’t find fault with his words. She’d found herself wondering the same thing over the last few days. However, this was no time to show doubt, so she masked those feelings and put on a stubborn face. “No less wise than asking _you_ for help, and here we are. This isn’t a matter of just us. It’s about this entire world. If we don’t all work together, it will be destroyed, and us along with it.”

The couple couldn’t believe it when Rumpelstiltskin simply walked back into his house and shut the door. They looked at each other in confusion and worry, but the door opened again a moment later. Rumpelstiltskin re-emerged, this time wearing his coat and hat, and pulled the door shut behind him, locking it before turning back to them. “Let’s get started then, shall we?”

* * *

Emma sat herself quietly across from Henry. He looked up at her timidly and she sighed.

“Henry, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean any of the things I said. I’m glad you brought me to Storybrooke.”

“No, you’re not,” Henry said dejectedly.

“Hey, yes I am. I’ve been looking for my parents my entire life, and I never would have found them without you.”

“Really?” Henry’s expression brightened a bit.

“Yeah, and no one else would have had their happy endings, either. Everyone here in town owes you, Henry. I’m not the one who saved them. You are.”

“But you’re the one who broke the curse.”

“Only because you brought me here. It would have been impossible without you.”

Henry smiled at the idea. “I never thought of that.”

“Yep. You’re a smart kid, Henry. What I should’ve said was, thank you. I’m so sorry. I’ve just been really confused lately. It’s kinda overwhelming sometimes.”

He nodded, his smile disappearing. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

She hesitated before asking, “Your mom?”

“Yeah.” Henry gave a big sigh. “I know she’s the Evil Queen, but I love her.”

“There’s probably more to her story than what’s in that book, and I’m sure that having you in her life has changed things. She loves you, too.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Granny, who was holding a tray of mugs. “Red called to tell me you’d be coming. I thought I’d bring you something to drink. On the house, of course,” she said smiling. She set down two mugs of steaming cocoa with cinnamon.

“Thank you,” Emma said. Granny nodded and moved off toward Grace and Jefferson.

“The last time I talked to my mom, I yelled at her,” Henry said, staring at his cocoa.

So Henry’s gloominess hadn’t just been because of her outburst.

“I yelled at her and James. I didn’t want everyone to keep arguing. Mom looked sad, but I was still angry, so I ignored her. I didn’t get to talk to her before she left.”

“Hey,” Emma said, nudging the hand he had resting on the table. “She’ll be back soon. You can talk to her when she gets here. It’ll be fine.” She smiled at him and he took a small sip of his cocoa.

“I hope she’s okay, wherever she is.”


	23. Chapter 23

The scene around them shifted again and an Annie that had aged a few more years was making her way down a path outside.

Annie had closed her eyes at the now familiar dizzying sensation she felt as her memories returned to her. When she felt them pause, however, her eyes settled right back onto Regina. She wiped her eyes dry, realizing she’d started to cry again. Fresh memories of years spent with this woman were now in her mind. Regina had cared for her as much as Daniel, and they’d spent many days together, talking, riding, playing. She’d felt loved, and had found a place where she could be happy again.

But things had changed. She battled confusion, looking at Regina. This was not the same woman who’d been so carefree and loving. This woman had imprisoned her, used her, threatened her. She’d cursed an entire town of people to living an unhappy existence in a world without magic.

She held her breath as Regina stepped toward her, not knowing what to expect. But as she drew close, Regina extended a hand. Annie searched her face and saw echoes of the young woman they’d just observed. There was a warmth there that the mayor had never shown toward her. She reached hesitantly out to take her hand and pull herself up.

“Your Majesty,” she started, but Regina shook her head, her own tears starting.

“You don’t have to call me that. You’re family.” She pulled Annie close and hugged her tightly.

Annie stiffened for a moment. She was unused to the contact, having spent her whole life with Elise, and then with the Mayor. It only took a moment, though, before she gave in to the overwhelming comfort she felt. She relaxed and wrapped her own arms around Regina, beginning to cry again.

“Shhhh,” Regina soothed. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” She ran a hand through the girl’s hair, as she had when she was a child, calming her.

“How come you thought I was dead?” Annie asked suddenly, though she hadn’t moved.

“It’s what I was told.”

“Annie, make sure to shut the door behind you.”

They turned to see that eight-year old Annie had reached her destination: the small, one-room hut that she and her brother shared. They watched as she closed the door and turned to face the couple that had invited her here.

Regina and Daniel sat on the bed and Daniel patted the space between them, inviting his sister to join them.

“What’s going on? Why did you want to talk to me?”

Regina’s eyes sparkled and she glanced at Daniel, who smiled. “Your brother and I want to get married.”

Annie looked back and forth between the two of them, excitement clear on her face. “Really? You’re going to be my sister?”

Regina nodded happily.

“But we can’t tell anyone,” Daniel added seriously. “We have to run away first. It has to be a secret.”

“ _Especially_ from my mother.”  Regina looked at her. “If she found out, we’d be in a lot of trouble. She’d stop us.”

“I promise I’ll keep the secret. I’d die before I told anyone,” she said gravely. Her firm expression faded quickly, however, and she laughed. “You’re going to be my sister!” She hugged Regina, who laughed as well. “We’re going to be so happy! When are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow night,” Daniel told her. “We have to leave before anyone suspects anything. Don’t worry about packing; I’ve already gathered everything we’ll need.”

Annie looked eager. “So what do I have to do?”

“Just wait for us in the woods outside of the stables,” Daniel told her. “Go there when it gets dark and everyone has gone to bed. Don’t come out. We’ll come to you. Okay?”

“Okay.”

The scene switched quickly, only a day having passed, and they were standing in the woods. It was dark and Annie had to wait a moment for her eyes to adjust before she could see Regina, who had a look of horror on her face.

“What? What is it? What happens?” Annie did not at all like the direction this was headed. The promises made that day, the plans to start a whole new life together, the fact that she’d ended up in Elise’s care and Regina had become the Evil Queen, and most unsettling: she hadn’t seen Daniel or heard him mentioned even once in the twenty-eight years they’d spent in Storybrooke.

Regina only looked at her, her expression pure agony, until both of their heads snapped up at the sound of a scream.

“NOOOOO!!!” It was Regina’s voice. There were sounds of shouting coming from the stables, but from this distance, Annie couldn’t make out the words. Not far from them, young Annie was crouched against a tree, looking terrified. Regina was staring at the stables, frozen. Annie, wanting to know what was happening, started toward them, but Regina caught her arm.

“Don’t.”

“What’s going on?”

“You’ll remember soon enough. You don’t need to see it.”

A second later, the doors to the stable were thrown open and Regina came running out. She didn’t stop as she turned away from them, toward the house. Cora was not far behind, though she walked with a calm stride. The second she was far enough away, little Annie burst out of the woods, headed for the stable.

Despite Regina’s advice, Annie broke away and ran, quickly overtaking her younger self and reaching the doorway first. She stopped so suddenly she nearly fell over. There, in the middle of the floor, was Daniel. Her brother, eyes open, lifeless. She walked slowly toward him, unbelieving. The other Annie came racing past. It took her longer to realize what was going on. She fell to the ground beside her brother, shaking him.

“Daniel, Daniel! Daniel, why won’t you answer?!”

Annie didn’t know how much more she could take. The little girl was now sobbing. Annie wanted to cry, too, so badly, but couldn’t. There were no more tears. She turned around in a shocked daze, and came face to face with Regina. For a moment, Regina only watched the scene on the ground, a hand over her mouth. She turned her gaze onto Annie.

“Oh, Annie,” she breathed. “This was something I always prayed you’d never seen.”

Child Annie stood quickly, racing out of the stables. The two watched helplessly as she ran away from the grounds. It started to rain, and as she reached the top of a hill, she slipped. She tumbled down a short way, hitting her head against a rock. Still crying hysterically, now covered in mud and soaking wet, she tried to pull herself up.

Regina and Annie jumped as Cora swept past them. She pulled the girl roughly to her feet. “Come, girl, it’s time for you to leave.”

Hiccupping sobs were the only answer she received.

“I’ve already called for my sister to meet us. She will be taking charge of you from now on. I will not let anything stand in the way of my daughter becoming Queen.” As she talked, she pulled the girl down the hill and off into the woods. It wasn’t long before another figure appeared not too far ahead. Elise approached and looked at the distraught Annie.

“What’s happened?”

“The brother was useless. I killed him. The girl has been no better. She may yet show power, however, so I’m placing her in your care. You will contact me immediately if anything changes?”

Elise nodded.

“Good. I must get back. A lot is happening right now. I expect you to deal with this.”

“I will,” Elise said eagerly. “Thank you for trusting me with her.”

“I don’t trust you,” Cora said coldly, as she walked away. “I simply am too busy to be bothered with such a thing. There are more important matters to attend to.”

When Cora was gone, Elise looked at Annie with pity. “You poor girl. You’ve been through so much. And look at you; you’re all dirty.” She gasped. “What have you done to your head?” A large amount of blood covered the side of Annie’s head, not immediately noticeable because of the mud that was mixed in with it. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and used it to wipe around the wound. “Oh, dear. That’s going to leave a scar.”

Annie moved her fingers over her scar. She’d always wondered where she’d gotten it. Now it would serve as a reminder of this horrible night.

“We’ll go home now, dear,” Elise said, dragging the girl deeper into the woods. “Somewhere safe where no one can ever hurt you again.”

Young Annie, nearly tripping in her upset state, turned to look over her shoulder as she was pulled away from the place she’d come to love. Regina shivered as the girl’s eyes seemed to look right at her.

Everything faded away, and they were back in the center of the labyrinth, Elise holding the hand of Annie, who didn’t seem to be aware of anything that was happening. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused, and every once in a while, she would start crying again.

The Goblin King stood next to them. “What’s this, Elise? Who is this troubled, _troubled_ , little girl?”

“Someone who needs to forget. I need you to take her memories so that I can build new ones for her.”

“That should be an easy task, but why should I let _you_ keep her? It doesn’t seem like your company makes her happy. Perhaps she’d be better off with me?” He smiled.

“No, Jareth. This is not my doing, but the girl belongs with me now. If you interfere with that, I will let my sisters pay you a visit.”

His amusement disappeared and he looked at her sharply. “Very well. How long as she been like this?”

“Days. Nothing I’ve done seems to make any difference.”

“And what caused this most disturbed state?”

“I don’t know. She was like this when she was brought to me.”

The Goblin King pulled a peach from his pocket, picked up Annie’s hand and placed it firmly into her palm.

The action was enough to bring the girl temporarily out of her stupor. She looked at the peach in her hand and then up at Jareth. She seemed to get lost staring at him, as if in a sort of trance.

“Eat,” he commanded.

Never taking her eyes off him, she did as she was told and took a bite.

Everything melted away and Annie was now standing alone in a field at the edge of a forest. There were horses all around her, some galloping around playfully, most grazing lazily on the grass. She began to walk around, peering between horses. It seemed she was looking for something. She continued her search until the sun began to fade. It began its descent, and as it grew darker, Annie snapped to attention. She ran toward the forest, but didn’t get far before Elise appeared in front of her.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I’m supposed to meet someone,” Annie said slowly. She didn’t seem to be sure of her words. “I’m supposed to wait for them at the edge of the forest when it gets dark.”

“Yes, but child; I’m right here. You don’t need to search anymore.”

Annie’s expression became one of confusion. “I don’t?”

“No. Let’s go home, Rapunzel.”

Annie’s brow furrowed. Somewhere deep inside her, she knew the name was wrong. Something wasn’t right.

“Don’t you want to go home?” Elise looked slightly worried at the girl’s hesitation.

Annie didn’t move for a moment. Coming to a decision, she nodded.

“Alright, then. Come home.” Elise extended her hand and Annie took it, following her through the trees. They ended up right back in the labyrinth, but that was where everything faded.

It was dark for a moment, but then a growing light revealed the setting around them. They were standing back on the hill by the castle on the sparkling lake. Annie realized with exhaustion that it was finally over. She’d remembered everything that had been forgotten.

“I’m so tired,” she breathed, and she wasn’t lying. She sank down into the grass, fighting to keep her eyes open. The effort made her dizzy, but then she felt a comforting set of arms around her. They laid her back gently until her head was resting on something soft.

“It’s alright,” she heard through closed eyes. “Sleep.”

As the last word was said, she’d already faded into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Annie felt an arm around her and realized she was resting against someone. She opened her eyes to see that they were still on the hillside by the castle. She blinked against the bright light. There was a beautiful orange cast to the light, making everything glow faintly. It must be morning, but that would mean that she’d slept through both the afternoon and evening. Surely the Queen would have woken her earlier.

_Regina_ , Annie reminded herself. It was going to take a while to readjust, but in this setting, it wasn’t difficult to see that this was most certainly not the same woman she’d spent the last twenty-eight years with, nor was she the Evil Queen feared by so many. Regina had moved them a short distance from where they’d come through to lean against a giant boulder. She’d pulled Annie back against her and fallen asleep as well, one arm still wrapped protectively around her.

Annie carefully removed the arm and pulled herself up. Regina opened her eyes and seemed for a minute to forget where she was. She looked around in confusion.  Her eyes found the castle first, and they darkened. Seeing Annie, however, she gave a small smile and pulled herself to her feet.

“Did you sleep well?”

Annie nodded quietly. “I didn’t dream at all.”

Regina looked relieved and sat back against the boulder. “That must be a side effect. It’s probably best that way.”

Sitting back down, Annie ran her fingers through the grass, enjoying the feeling of it on her hands. “Did Cora tell you I was dead?”

Not hearing anything, Annie looked up to see Regina nodding slowly.

“Yes,” she finally said, very quietly. Her voice sounded weak. She was on the verge of tears. Clearing her throat, she regained a little of her strength. “When she came into the house, she told me there had been an accident. You’d fallen down a hill and hit your head on a rock. In her version, you didn’t get back up.”

“And you believed her?” Annie couldn’t help but feel a little angry. If Regina had found Annie, things might have been different. They could still have run away.

“There were witnesses!” Regina cried. “People who said they’d seen you fall. I know now that they were only people my mother had forced to lie to me, but I couldn’t have known that then!

“Annie,” she pleaded, bending down in front of her, “I would _never_ have left if I thought there was any chance you were still alive. You were my family. You still are. You _have_ to know that I believe that!”

There was no doubt in Annie’s mind that this was the truth, and it felt better than anything she’d felt in a long time. Which was why she hated herself for what she was about to ask.

“How could you do the things you’ve done? What happened to you? The Regina I knew would never have been capable of such evil.”

Regina was pained by the words. Her actions had always been easy for her to justify, but there had never been anyone else to hold her to any standards. No one that mattered, anyway. She was unwilling to question any of her motives.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You don’t understand the circumstances around Daniel’s death. It should never have happened!”

“Cora figured it out,” Annie whispered sadly. “There was nothing you could have done.” The words had been meant to be comforting, but  Regina recoiled.

“She didn’t figure it out on her own! Snow told her! After she _promised_ not to!” Regina’s voice broke, but Annie couldn’t tell if it was from pain or anger.

With memories newly intact, a young Snow suddenly appeared to Annie. The girl had been older, but extremely kind to her. Even after it was revealed that she was the King’s daughter, they had played together.

Annie couldn’t imagine that the sweet girl would ever have intentionally done anything to hurt Regina. She’d followed her around like a shadow, adoration plain for everyone to see. Something must have happened for her to have told Cora. Remembering, too, the cold hatred Regina had held for Mary-Margaret in Storybrooke, she thought it best to curb her thoughts and move forward for the time being.

Annie was amazed at her own ability to remain as calm as she had. Attributing it to shock, she thought she must be distancing herself from everything so that it wouldn’t overwhelm her. She wondered about what had happened to Regina after that fateful night, but the events of yesterday had drained her energy and there wasn’t anything left. She felt a small hole deep inside her and feared that learning anything more might cause her to fall into it and be lost forever.

Standing up again, she brushed her hands off. Whatever this woman had been, whatever Annie felt about all of it, she pushed it down. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Regina.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too.” Regina closed her eyes, still in wonder that Annie was here with her, alive; and agonizingly, had been for so long, without her ever knowing or even suspecting. Yet another happy ending just out of reach.

They finally pulled apart and Annie remembered that their purpose in coming here had now been fulfilled. “Do we go back to Storybrooke now?”

Regina shook her head, frowning. “We’re not finished here yet.” Maleficent had whispered something to her just before coming here. A second reason for their presence here in Fairy Tale World. One she was not prepared to face, but never would be.

She grasped Annie’s hand, both for strength and to ensure that she was still real. They traveled along in comfortable silence, Regina leading them toward the castle. It took quite a while to get there, and Regina could easily have moved them to the entrance, but she enjoyed walking with Annie. She wouldn’t admit that she was also buying herself just a little more time.

As they drew closer to the castle, they became aware of how much time had passed here while only twenty-eight years had passed in the other world. There were vines growing on the castle walls, and some of the bricks had started to crumble. The courtyard had sections that were nearly overgrown, plants having forced their way through cracks in the stone.

They entered into a grand hall; at least, it had been grand at one time. Spider webs stretched from the corners and a thick layer of dust coated everything in sight.

Annie had a thought. “When you cast the curse, wasn’t everything destroyed? Everything came apart around me just before we were taken to Storybrooke.”

“It appeared that way, yes, but it was simply our vision of things as we were pulled through a portal. None of it actually happened. You could call it an illusion.”

They continued forward past a large staircase and stopped in front of another set of tall double doors. Regina tried to pull them open, but after so many years, they had sealed shut.

She stood back and waved a hand. The doors flew open with a bang. Recalling a similar entrance through these same doors, a small smirk appeared on Regina’s lips. It was fleeting, as her eyes found the reason for their visit.

There, in the middle of the room Snow White and Prince Charming had been married in, was a coffin. It sat on the same raised floor the couple had stood on; Rumpelstiltskin’s cruel taunting. She imagined the stupid little imp taking joy in twisting the curse without her knowledge.

“Who’s coffin is that?” Annie asked hesitantly when they arrived at the bottom of the steps.

“Someone who won’t be very pleased to see me.” Although they were few, the former Queen took the steps slowly. She rested her palms against the edges of the coffin for a moment, steeling herself for what was to come. Afraid she might lose her nerve if she waited too long, she shoved upward, throwing the lid of the coffin back.

She stumbled backward as Graham sat straight up, gasping for air. He looked around him in confusion. “What happened? Where am I?” His eyes fell on Regina, and his face twisted in hatred and the tiniest amount of fear. His voice turned to ice. “Your Majesty?”


	25. Chapter 25

A small portion of the town now sat in Granny’s diner, chattering loudly. The fairies had all gathered and all of the royals, no matter their kingdom, had also been summoned. Grace’s head snapped up as the couple who’d been her parents in this world stepped inside. She slid out of the booth and ran to the woman, hugging her. She didn’t say anything, not knowing the woman’s true identity, but still feeling love for her. The woman returned the hug with a smile as Jefferson approached.

“I’m Jefferson,” he said, bowing slightly. “Grace’s father.”

“Ariel,” the woman introduced herself, smiling. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“And I’m Eric,” her husband said, grasping Jefferson’s hand and shaking it firmly.

Dr. Whale squeezed past them, his eyes scanning the diner for the woman he’d unknowingly been in search of for the last twenty-eight years. Although Storybrooke was a small town, it seemed very large when you were searching for just one person. He’d been unsuccessful at every turn and no one seemed to know the location of the woman he’d been looking for. Between that and still carrying the responsibility of town physician, he’d gone a whole week without the reunion everyone else had had. He knew, being a royal, she would be here tonight and his heart leapt with joy as he finally spotted her, not more than a few steps away.

“Aurora!” He said, reaching past a stranger to touch her shoulder. She turned and tears sprang to her eyes as she spotted her prince. She threw herself into his arms and he swung her around happily.

In the middle of the room, Henry was practically bouncing up and down, watching everyone. Emma had to laugh at his enthusiasm. It was nice to see the joy back on his face.

“Emma!” He turned to her, whispering loudly to be heard over the crowd. “Did you hear that?” he asked, jerking his head in Jefferson’s direction. “The people taking care of Grace were Prince Eric and Ariel! But her hair’s not red. Why do you think that is?”

“I’m not sure, Henry.” She shook her head as she realized he wasn’t paying attention anymore, anyway. He was now staring at Dr. Whale who was spinning a laughing woman in his arms.

“Oh my gosh! Dr. Whale is Sleeping Beauty’s prince! Emma, can you believe it?!”

“It would sure explain a few things,” she told him.

He looked up at her with a curious expression, nose scrunched. “Like what?”

Emma started to speak, but the Blue Fairy had moved to the front of the room and asked for everyone’s attention.

“I’ll tell ya later,” Emma whispered.

Henry nodded eagerly. He couldn’t wait to find out everyone else’s identities.

* * *

Annie gasped and stumbled backward. “Sheriff Graham? But…you died.”

“It would appear I didn’t,” Graham said, jumping down from the coffin. “Although I’m curious as to how that’s possible.” He shot a glare at Regina. “I certainly felt like I was dying.”

Regina stared at him, at a loss for words. She’d hated herself the moment she’d killed him. It had been an act of desperation, a need for the curse to stay intact. His sudden recollections of his past life had frightened her. She had regretted the action, but standing here, she wondered if him living after all wasn’t worse. How could she explain an atrocity she didn’t quite understand herself?

“Graham,” she whispered, not knowing where to start. The name fit him better than “huntsman” and she’d grown accustomed to saying it.

“You _did_ kill me,” he said, coming to his own conclusion. “But something went wrong. Something prevented me from actually dying.”

The words were true. Rumpelstiltskin had somehow found a way to ensure that no one could be killed while under the curse. Probably to save himself from any unforeseen attack on Regina’s part. Instead, the person was sent back to this world, suspended in a deep sleep until they were awakened by someone. It was not unlike the sleeping curse.

“I’m glad you tried to kill me,” Graham said, advancing on her and making her step back. “You don’t control me anymore.” He placed a hand over his chest. “I have my heart back, I can feel it. And I pity you.” Her face hardened but he continued. “You lead such a miserable life, but you bring it all on yourself. You wonder why Henry avoids you, why I would choose to be with Emma over you, why the whole town is afraid of you, even when they don’t know who you truly are. You can’t hide evil behind a curse, it shines through. People see it for what it really is.” The words were biting, but Regina hid her pain behind a mask of amused indifference. Her eyes shone with tears, but they were almost imperceptible.

“If you say so, dear. Now, we really should be getting back to Storybrooke.”

“Why come here at all? Why not leave everyone to think that I’m dead?”

“Oh, they do. I imagine they’ll all be quite shocked to see you again after all this time.”

“All this time? What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll see shortly enough.” Regina turned away from him, stalking toward the door. As she approached Annie, she stuck her hand out, but didn’t slow down. The anger on her face didn’t disappear as Annie grabbed it and nearly tripped trying to quickly match Regina’s pace. However, she felt Regina’s fingers intertwine with hers and squeeze them lightly. She squeezed back.

This time, Regina didn’t use magic to transport them to the entrance of this world because she couldn’t stand the thought of touching Graham. Nothing was said the entire walk and the tension could only have been cut with a very sharp knife.

Although the door was invisible from this side, Annie somehow found it with ease. With her memories intact, she was finding strange new intuitions and feelings she hadn’t had before. Certain things were coming back to her without her even noticing.

She pulled it open and allowed the others through first. As they made their way to the middle of the room, something glinted briefly in the light before the door shut behind them. Regina and Graham were ahead of her and hadn’t seen it. Annie walked slowly forward, eyes scanning the ground, when she saw it. She leaned down and picked it up gently. It was an object she recognized, but just barely. It was the ring her brother had given Regina all of those years ago. She tucked it carefully into an inside jacket pocket, knowing now wouldn’t be the appropriate moment to return it.

“Annie, are you coming?” She looked up to see that Regina had halted her movement and turned to watch her. It didn’t appear that she’d seen the ring.

“Yeah, sorry.” She hurried to the center and took Regina’s hand. She grasped Graham’s as well before concentrating on the street they’d left behind.


	26. Chapter 26

Everyone from the diner was now headed down to the old mines. It seemed only fitting that this would be the place to build the cell for Cora. It had the materials and, even more appropriately, it had been the place of Rumpelstiltskin’s imprisonment in Fairy Tale Land.

The man himself had sat quietly in the corner of the diner. The place had gone silent when he’d first walked in, but everyone had been made aware of his involvement in what they were doing. It was strange for him to be as silent as he was. Even with the curse broken, he was more Mr. Gold than Rumpelstiltskin. Still taking joy from making deals and manipulating people, but with an eerie calm and not nearly as much involvement.  Some wondered if the years in Storybrooke had tamed him. He wouldn’t be the only one, if that were the case.

As cars pulled up around the mine, Emma couldn’t help but stand back and take in how truly odd this all was. Sleeping Beauty, the Little Mermaid, Prince Eric, Prince Charming, Snow White, Cinderella; all climbing out of cars in jeans and t-shirts. Disney would flip if he saw this. Anyone would.

Henry was eager to get back into the mines and start exploring the things he hadn’t had time to explore the first time, but Emma pulled him back.

“Uh-uh, kid. We’re staying out here.”

“But, Emma, there’s gotta be something down there!”

“You don’t have to prove anything anymore, Henry. The curse is broken.”

“Yeah, but I bet it looks really cool.”

“Nope. We’re gonna wait here.”

Henry plopped down onto a rock with a small pout.

They watched as everyone made their way carefully down to what was once the opening. Now that they weren’t under dire time restraints, it was easy to form a work party that moved all of the rocks from the opening. It took a little while; the explosion had made more of a mess than anything, but eventually they worked their way through.

Emma was anxious and on-edge as they all disappeared inside. The fact that the curse was broken and they all now remembered who they were didn’t make the abandoned mines any less dangerous.

She jumped slightly at a voice behind her.

“Emma, would you mind if we talked for a moment?”

Jefferson, with Grace at his side, stood there, shamefaced.

She nodded.

“Hey, Henry.” Grace smiled. “Wanna go play?”

“Yeah, okay.” Henry pulled himself off the rock and they walked a little ways into the field.

Jefferson and Emma positioned themselves so that they could still see Grace and Henry, but the two kids wouldn’t be able to overhear any of their conversation.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Neither of them really had any idea of where to start.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said finally. “That I didn’t believe you, I mean. And that you were separated from your daughter for so long.”

Jefferson stared at her. “You shouldn’t be the one apologizing. I… I’ve come to realize that I’ve allowed myself to turn into someone I never wanted to be. When you have a goal for so long, it becomes the focus of your life. Everything else falls to the wayside. Once you achieve it, you don’t really know how to stop; it’s been a part of you for so long that you can’t remember how you were before it.” He was silent, a troubled expression coming over his face. It suddenly occurred to him that this was exactly what had happened with Regina. He’d never really thought about it before. Shaking his head to clear the disturbing realization, he focused again on Emma. “I pulled you into my problems, put some of the blame on you, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I never meant to do you any harm. You, or your mother.”

Emma still squirmed inside to hear someone call Mary Margaret her mother. It was an idea that she was only now very slowly accepting. Hearing someone else say it aloud made her uncomfortable. Memories of that night flowed back to her and she tried not to think about it too much. It had been a terrifying experience for several different reasons; breaking the law, the idea of Mary Margaret being caught, Jefferson’s crazed hostage situation, and a deep-seated nagging thought that maybe – just maybe – the whole fairytale idea wasn’t as far-fetched as it seemed.

“I’m glad that you have Grace back now,” Emma told him.

“Me, too.” Emma followed his gaze to see Grace and Henry, pretending to sword fight with a couple of sticks they had found.

They both smiled.

“I saw you at the diner earlier,” Emma said, returning her eyes to Jefferson. “With the people who took care of Grace… I have to admit, I was kinda surprised. I expected you to be angry.”

Rather than a look of surprise, Jefferson nodded. “I thought I would be, too. But I realized it’s not their fault. They weren’t the ones to take her from me, and they took very good care of her. I’m grateful to them for that.” He looked down. “It was something Grace told me. That Regina had promised me she would take care of her, and she did. I realized that, for as much as Regina was punishing me, she was also ensuring that Grace had a good life.”

Emma was shocked to hear him admit this, and to her, especially. “What’s your history with her, anyway?” she asked.  It was obvious they’d known each other long before they came to Storybrooke.

Jefferson shook his head sadly. “It’s a long story, and not a pleasant one.”

She expected him to say something more, but that was it. Apparently, it was not something he wanted to share.

She was searching for something to say to change the subject when the ground shook. Jefferson grabbed hold of her, steadying her as she fought to keep her balance.

The second the movement had abated, Emma turned to Henry. “Hey, you guys okay?”

Henry nodded, looking slightly shaken. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. It sounds like the mine started to collapse again. Stay here, I’m gonna go check it out.” She hurried to the entrance, relieved to see that it hadn’t closed up.

She was trying to decide whether it was safe to enter, when people began filing out. They all had dirt smudges on their skin and clothing, but it didn’t look like anyone had been injured.

Snow was looking particularly upset.

“What happened?” Emma asked.

“It didn’t work,” Snow said miserably. “There’s no safe way for us to use magic.”

The Blue Fairy came up behind her, a similar expression of defeat on her face. “Every time we attempt it, something terrible happens. The amount of magic being used doesn’t seem to be a factor. The act of using magic itself is enough – we have no defense.”

Emma shook her head. “There has to be something you can do. Cora is going to _destroy_ this world.”

“Which we might do ourselves if we attempted more magic,” the Blue Fairy replied.

“Then we’re trapped,” Emma said, a sense of dread settling in.

Snow stood straighter, resolve on her face. “We’ll fight her. We may not be able to use magic, but we can’t give up.”

Everyone gathered around, nodding their agreement. They weren’t willing to go without a fight.

“There is another way, but you’re not going to like it.” The quiet voice of Mr. Gold brought everyone’s attention back to the man they’d forgotten was even there.

“What is it?” Snow asked.

“The curse.”

The crowd looked confused, not understanding what he was saying.

Snow shook her head. “Yes, the curse is broken, but how will that help us?”

“Dearie, the curse being broken is not what’s helpful. It’s the curse itself. When cast, it would remove all magic from this world. Cora could come through, but she would lose her magic once she stepped foot here.”

“But…if we cast the curse, wouldn’t we all lose our memories again?” Snow had to agree, this wasn’t an option she was liking at all.

He nodded. “I imagine everything would go back to how it was before.”

“No!” Henry said, running up behind them. “You can’t do that!”

Everyone in the crowd watched as the young boy made his way to Snow.

“We just broke the curse. We can’t let anyone put it back. What if we were stuck like that forever?” Henry was thinking not just of how unhappy the curse had made everyone, he was thinking of his mom. He’d started to fix things with her, and he was afraid of what would happen if the curse returned. He loved her, but he knew that power was tempting, and she was the Evil Queen, after all.

Mr. Gold looked down at Henry. “You might not have a choice, m’boy.”

There was kindness in his voice that wasn’t present when he talked to anyone else. It was something that Emma had noticed during her time in Storybrooke, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She wondered if it might be the thought of his own son that made Gold so much more pleasant when he was around Henry.

“How would we manage it?” Snow asked. “We can’t use magic, and without it, how would we have any way of casting the curse?”

“You wouldn’t.” Rumpelstiltskin informed her. “The curse is a very particular spell. Once cast, it becomes a sort of pet; it obeys its owner. It would take a bit of doing, but the curse could be recast with very little magic.”

“But that would mean that Regina would have to be the one to cast it again,” Snow said slowly.

“Aye, it would.”

There were rocks in her stomach, Snow was sure of it. It was the only explanation for the sudden weight threatening to pull her down. “She would control everyone again. It would be up to her to break the curse, when the time came. How could we trust her to do that?”

Gold looked her in the eye, and this time, there was no question that Rumpelstiltskin lay just beneath the surface. His eyes glittered, and his mouth twisted up in a sort of half-smirk. “I suppose you’d just have to take that chance.”


	27. Chapter 27

When they appeared back on the street, Graham couldn’t get away from Regina fast enough. He headed straight for Granny’s. He needed a drink; a strong one. His thoughts swirled as he walked, trying to process everything. What exactly had kept him from dying, and more pressing, why had Regina brought him back? He couldn’t think of any reason that she would retrieve him after having attempted to murder him. Then again, there wasn’t a whole lot that was making sense right now.

The curse, for example. Why had it been cast in the first place? He knew Regina had a long-held grudge against Snow White, but surely that couldn’t be the at the root of all of this? Over the years he’d spent with Regina, he had learned a lot about her. Much more than most people, he imagined. Although she’d still kept walls up with him, she shared more with him because of what she held over him. He had learned, at the very center of this horribly evil woman, lay vulnerability and pain. Such that, he supposed, she would feel it necessary to curse an entire kingdom to finally take down her one, true enemy. If he ever spilled her secrets, the consequence would be death. She could kill him instantly, no matter where he was.

So again, he wondered why he had been awakened by the Evil Queen. Something must have changed with the curse. Had it not, she would never have allowed him freely back into this world. He would be able to tell anyone about the curse and who Regina really was.

He looked up, realizing that he had been walking for quite a while and was very close to Granny’s. He stopped when he saw Emma. Distracted by having found her without even trying, he didn’t even notice the man who had her arm looped through his, or that they were laughing together. He did, however, notice her smile dissolve into shock as she looked up and her eyes fell on him.

“Graham?”

* * *

Regina didn’t bother to say anything to Graham as he hurried off. She was happy to have him gone. Annie stayed by her side as they made their way to the apartment.

Regina broke the silence about halfway to the front door. “Perhaps we should keep your memories to ourselves for now. I don’t want anyone using it against you. There are some who would take advantage of your power, or use you to hurt me. We’ll have to act as if nothing much has changed.”

Annie gave a silent nod, though she felt a panging disappointment. She’d finally found the family she belonged with, and now she wasn’t allowed to do anything about it. Nothing was said the rest of the walk.

They reached the door, but Regina didn’t go to open it. Annie gave her a questioning look, to which Regina responded by pulling her into a tight hug.

“I love you,” she whispered fiercely. “And I’m only doing this to protect you. Eventually it will be safe again, and we can tell everyone that you’re my sister.”

Beginning to cry, Annie found she couldn’t speak, so she nodded.

They pulled apart and Annie wiped her eyes, trying to erase the evidence before they entered the apartment. Regina noticed and she cupped Annie’s face in her hand and used her thumb to wipe away a tear on her cheek. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind Annie’s ear, once more revealing the crescent scar. Brushing her fingers over it softly, she gave Annie one last loving look. Then, she immediately became the Queen. Serious, cold, detached. Straightening her jacket, she reached out and knocked on the door.

It opened shortly after, to reveal Snow, looking slightly surprised. “You’re back.”

“Mom?” They heard Henry’s voice from inside, along with the sound of a chair scraping back. He came into view a moment later. “Mom!” He raced to the door and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re back! I was really worried.”

Regina’s face once again softened as she bent down to properly return her son’s hug. She straightened as Snow addressed Annie.

“How did it go? Did you find your memories?”

Annie nodded stiffly.

“What did you find out?”

“Umm… if you don’t mind, I’d actually like to go to bed now. I’m kind of tired.”

“Oh.” Snow nodded awkwardly. “Of course. Go ahead.”

Annie headed straight for the stairs. The loft, being slightly more isolated from the rest of the apartment, was far more welcoming tonight.

Snow looked down at her grandson. “Hey, Henry, why don’t you go brush your teeth and put on your pajamas?”

“Right now?” Henry whined.

“Yes,” Snow smiled. “Right now.”

Henry dropped his head. “Fine.” He turned around, dragging his feet as he headed to the bathroom.

Her expression growing serious, Snow looked back at Regina. “Can we sit?” She gestured at the couch.

Regina raised an eyebrow at the invitation. She was not amused at Snow’s ordering around of _her_ son, nor was she in any mood to sit down with her enemy.

“Please, Regina? We need to talk about what’s going to happen to Storybrooke.”

“Very well.” She walked to the small sitting area, placing herself in one of the chairs, while Snow sat on the couch. She noticed that the air mattress from Snow’s room had been moved to the center of the floor. She was staring at the wrinkles in the blanket on it, resisting the urge to reach out and smooth them. They made her angry, which seemed silly, but she supposed it was her way of dealing with the current situation; doling out her anger to small, inanimate objects so that it didn’t overwhelm her. Having to work with Snow White was taking its toll.

“I was hoping you might have found something that could help us with the Cora situation. Maybe something having to do with Annie,” Snow began.

“No. Nothing that could do anything to stop her. Why?” Regina’s eyes narrowed. “I thought we had a plan already?”

Snow’s face fell as her last hope slipped away. She’d been praying that perhaps they would find something about Annie that would give them an alternative to the curse. Maleficent _had_ said that she was the key to the situation. However, Snow knew that, had they found anything useful, Regina would have told her. She had no reason to lie. Snow cleared her throat. “While you were gone, we gathered all of the fairies, and attempted to use magic…”

“Well?” Regina snapped after a moment of silence. She was worried at how this was sounding and irritated at being kept waiting.

“It didn’t work,” Snow whispered. “There’s no way to safely use magic.”

Regina couldn’t hide the shock. She was surprised she managed to remain upright. Inside, her head was spinning, and she felt dizzy. Her world felt as if it had been tipped sideways. All hope of escaping her mother’s wrath, of keeping Henry safe, was seeping out of her. It took a lot of her energy to focus her eyes on Snow when the woman began to speak again.

“Rumpelstiltskin says there’s another way.”

Snow’s tone was low, upset, and it made Regina curious as to what Snow was going to say next.

“He says if you put the curse back on Storybrooke, it will remove magic from this world.”

The room was filled with silence. Very loud silence; the kind that sent one’s mind reeling, grasping for one thought or sound to hang on to. Even James, who had been watching from across the room, felt the weight of it.

There was an indecipherable expression on Regina’s face. Her gaze was on Snow, unblinking.

“Regina?” Snow finally squeaked. Out of the many reactions she had imagined, this was not one of them.

“Let me see if I understand you correctly,” she said finally, and her voice had taken on its familiar dangerous edge. “I nearly lost my son – and my life – because of the curse breaking, and now you want me to _replace it?!_ ” No longer able to contain her anger, the last words were venomous.

Snow, straightened, all traces of the kind and timid schoolteacher gone. “You mean you nearly killed _my_ grandson in your haste to protect the curse, by attempting to kill my daughter!”

Regina bristled. “To keep her from taking Henry!” There was pain mixed into her voice. She hated herself, remembering what had happened to Henry because of her actions.

“Well, that will no longer be a concern,” Snow said coldly. “He’s now where he belongs.”

“You can’t!” Regina yelled. “He’s _my_ son! He belongs with me!”

“You really think, after _everything_ you’ve done, that we’d let Henry stay with you?!” She scoffed. “He should be with his family, not with the person who ripped that family apart!”

James stepped between the two, holding his hands up. “That’s enough,” he said quietly. “This is a discussion for another time.” He glanced at Regina, hatred for what she’d done to them mixing with sympathy at how terrified she looked at the idea of losing Henry. Not able to look anymore, he met the eyes of his wife. “Snow, we’re still in danger. This _world_ is in danger, and unless we do something about it, it will be destroyed.”

Gathering her composure, Snow nodded tersely. “You’re right. Regina,” she said stiffly, her gaze burning through the woman, “will you do it?”

There was a pause. Then, “I’ll think about it.”

“You have until tomorrow morning,” Snow told her, and then pulled James to their room, having finished what she wanted to say. She hit the light switch on her way, so that the only light was the one shining dimly from the bathroom.

* * *

Just outside Granny’s diner, Emma and August shared their first real kiss since Emma had found him the day after the breaking of the curse. She’d had a great time at dinner, surprised to find herself warming to the idea of a relationship with him. She hadn’t seriously dated anyone for years, and it had become a comfortable pattern; meet guy, go home with guy, never see guy again. Linking arms with August, she thought maybe it was time for her to finally break that pattern. She felt safe with him, relaxed. He managed to always say the right things at the right time; he knew when to make her laugh, and when to just listen. They walked a short distance before her relaxed mood was shattered.

Graham was standing not twenty feet in front of her.

“Graham?” She asked in shock, finally finding her voice. Her arms dropped down to her side and she took a small step forward, wondering if it was possible she was losing her mind.

“Emma.” Graham had stopped walking, but moved quickly toward her, wrapping her in a hug.

Unable to process what was happening, Emma’s arms hung limply, before she pulled back quickly, tears in her eyes. “This isn’t real. I went to your funeral months ago.”

August’s brow furrowed in confusion, as did Graham’s.

“Months? Emma, what are you talking about?”

“Graham, you died. I was there. We buried you.” She shook her head, trying not to become hysterical.

He nodded. “I ended up in my world. Regina brought me back here. But she didn’t tell me how much time had passed.” He couldn’t bear to see the pain in Emma’s eyes as she looked at him. He reached out to put a comforting hand on her face, but she stepped back, and he noticed the other man for the first time. Emma had tucked herself into his side.

“What’s going on?” August asked. “Who is this?”

“Graham,” Emma told him. “He was the Sheriff, before he died. Months ago.”

“You mean, before I was killed.”

“What are you talking about?” Emma couldn’t believe what was happening. She must be dreaming. Or she really was losing her mind. Anything but what it appeared to be; Graham, back from the dead, as if nothing had happened.

“ _Regina_ , Emma. She’s not who you think she is.”

“I know. She’s the Evil Queen.”

Graham took a surprised step backward. “You know?”

“Yes. After you died, the curse was broken. Everyone has their memories back.”

That certainly explained why Regina had let him walk freely into this world. There was nothing left for him to tell anyone. Except for one thing.

“She killed me, Emma. Squeezed my heart into dust. The only reason I’m alive right now is because something in the curse stopped me from actually dying. It sent me back to my world instead.”

His statement was met with silence. He noticed that Emma had grasped the hand of the strange man.

She took a deep breath. “Graham, I’m glad you’re okay.” More silence. “Can we talk again tomorrow? This is… this is _a lot_ to process.” She had a pounding headache and felt like she might throw up.

Graham looked bewildered, but it was more about the situation than her reaction to it, and he nodded.

“August, could you please drive me home?” Emma sounded almost desperate.

“Of course,” he said quickly. He steered her toward her car. “Do you have the keys?”

Her eyes were unfocused as she pulled them out of her pocket and held them out. It was after the car was started up and they’d driven a short distance that Emma burst into tears.

* * *

Henry had finished brushing his teeth and was wearing fresh pajamas. He reached for the knob on the bathroom door, but stopped when he heard Snow and his mom begin to argue. He sat on the floor and leaned against the door as he listened to them yell at each other. Every word could be heard clearly, only slightly muffled by the walls.

His eyes filled with tears, listening to them scream at each other over him. He loved both of them and it was painful to hear Snow tell his mom that he could no longer stay with her. Somewhere, deep down, he’d realized that it made sense his family would want to take him back, but he hadn’t allowed himself to think about it. It had all been simpler before he knew that Regina really loved him. He’d been able to peg her as the Evil Queen who would be defeated by good, exiled to a different land, and everyone would live happily ever after. Now, it was his mom. The woman who’d put bandages on his scraped knees, kissing them better; who’d wiped his forehead gently with a cold washcloth when he was sick; who’d read him stories when he couldn’t sleep or comforted him when he’d had nightmares; who’d finally convinced him that none of it had been an act, and that she truly loved him.

He held tightly to his knees, tucking his head into them as he listened to James stop the argument. A few minutes later, the lights turned off, and Henry sat, forgotten, on the bathroom floor. He didn’t move for several minutes, too upset by what he’d heard. He reached up at some point to flick the light off. It didn’t matter that no one was in there with him; it still seemed more private to cry in the dark. None of this was going the way it was supposed to. He didn’t know how to fix it.

Finally, Henry pulled himself up, although he hadn’t stopped crying. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he quietly pulled the door open. He kept silent as he hurried across the apartment and approached the bed in the middle of the floor.

Without saying anything he crawled in next to his mom, curling up against her and wrapping an arm around her tightly. She turned onto her back, pulling him close, and felt his tears on her neck and his small frame wracking with soundless sobs.

“Oh, Henry,” she whispered, kissing his forehead. She hummed a lullaby softly, shaky at first because of her own crying, but eventually evening out. She felt him finally relax into her arms, having fallen asleep, and she allowed herself to do the same.


	28. Chapter 28

Snow lay awake in bed, her mind racing. She was furious with Regina. The Queen had taken her life, her daughter, her one true love, and still felt it wasn’t enough. James had fallen asleep quickly, angry, but somehow still managing to find peace. He hadn’t heard the bathroom door open, and realized with horror, as she had, that Henry had been in there the entire time, undoubtedly hearing every angry word. She’d debated going out to comfort him, but heard Regina’s voice say his name. He’d gone to _her_ for comfort.

With all of the years she and Regina had been at each other’s throats, Snow was surprised to find herself strangely jealous of Henry. He had the unwavering love and devotion of the woman she’d loved so much as a child. Something she’d thought she’d had, but she was wrong.

When Snow heard the soft humming, she realized with a deep ache that it was the same lullaby Regina had sung to her when she’d had trouble sleeping. Tears formed in her eyes; the sound was so familiar and comforting, though she’d not heard it in many, many years. Just for this night, she allowed herself to forget everything in the world, and be transported back to a simpler time. She closed her eyes, and imagined Regina had allowed her to crawl up next to her in bed after a nightmare. She could almost feel Regina’s hand, brushing through her hair as she hummed. Everything finally faded, and Snow drifted peacefully to sleep.

* * *

Emma’s night was not going so well. She’d thanked August for driving her home but refused his offer of ushering her to the apartment door. She needed some time alone. She was confused and hurt, too much to really feel the anger toward Regina she knew was coming. It was probably best that way, she thought. There were no sounds coming from inside the apartment, and the crack under the door was dark, indicating everyone inside was already asleep.

She cringed as she pushed the door open with a creak. She paused for a moment after she’d shut it, listening for any sounds, but apparently no one had been disturbed by her entrance.

Grateful she wouldn’t have to face her family yet, she made her way to the stairs. Her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the dark yet, and she nearly tripped over the air mattress in the middle of the floor. She leaned a little closer, surprised to see Regina laying on it, Henry in her arms. When had she arrived back? They both looked deeply asleep; it was no wonder they hadn’t stirred.

She moved quickly past them and up to her loft, noticing Annie sprawled on the air mattress next to the bed.

Quickly changing into pajamas, Emma grabbed her headphones off the nightstand and shoved them into her ears. If she had any hope of sleeping tonight, she was going to have to drown out her thoughts.

* * *

Snow woke early to the smell of coffee and an empty bed. She pulled her robe on and walked the short distance to the kitchen, sliding onto a stool as James passed her an already full cup. She sipped it, glancing over to see Regina and Henry still fast asleep.

Once again, Snow found herself thinking about Regina her stepmother, not Regina the Evil Queen. In sleep, the nearly ever-present frown was gone, as was her harsh makeup. She looked very much like her younger self, except for the chopped short hair. Regina was still in her clothes, but a blanket now covered her and Henry. Snow turned a questioning eye to David, who shrugged, not needing her to speak to know her question.

“They looked cold.” He rested his arms on the counter, leaning toward her. “Are we really going to keep Henry from her?”

Snow glanced back at the sleeping pair and sighed heavily. “I hate the idea of him staying with her, but we can’t remove him from her altogether. Whether I like it or not, she _is_ his mother. Henry would never forgive us, would he?”

James shook his head seriously. “No. And it would only make things worse with Regina.”

Hearing the compassion in his voice, Snow set down her mug, hands loosely wrapped around it. “What is it about her that makes you so gentle? You used to hate her as much as I do.” The words weren’t angry, merely curious, though she realized they were also wrong. She didn’t hate Regina. The woman made her furious and had hurt her deeply, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate her.

“I don’t know what it is exactly, but part of it is our time here. I didn’t tell you about the dinner we had.”

Snow recalled the conversation over breakfast the other morning and leaned forward curiously. “No, you didn’t.”

“She’s told me since that it was another of her plots to separate the two of us, but she had me over for dinner one night, not too long ago. She didn’t actually seduce me, but there was flirting, and she definitely tried to kiss me.” He actually chuckled lightly at the memory and the conversation they’d recently had about it, but Snow was staring, mouth agape.

“Tried?” It was the only speech she could manage.

“Don’t worry,” James assured her. “Nothing happened.” He took another drink of coffee. “Even though the flirting was an act, we had a real conversation. I’ve seen another side to her; a vulnerability. She hurts the same as everyone else.”

Snow couldn’t believe Regina had done such a thing, or that this was enough to win her husband over.

He seemed to read her thoughts and spoke again before she had the chance. “I still don’t trust her and I’m not sure I can ever fully forgive her for what she’s done, but I do know one thing: if we continue to treat each other the way we have in the past, nothing will ever improve. Doesn’t she deserve to have a chance at happiness the same as we do?”

“Wasn’t that what the curse was all about? Our misery making her happy?”

James shook his head slightly. “That may have been the reason she cast it, but I don’t believe it had quite the result she was looking for. Now, having the secret of the curse off her chest, and Henry admitting his love freely, she’s certainly happier than I’ve ever seen her. Henry aside – even though you know it would kill him if we separated them – who are we to take her happiness?”

“Who was _she_ to take _our_ happiness in the first place?”

David pondered this silently, unsure if he should ask his next question. He finally decided, however, that there would never really be a _right_ time and he might as well know now.

“You’ve never actually told me,” he started. “What was it, exactly, that you did to upset Regina so much?” He tried to make his voice as gentle and unassuming as possible. He knew these were murky waters he was wading into – for everyone involved.

Snows fingers curled tightly around the handle of her mug, and as she lifted it to take a rather large drink, he noticed her hands were shaking.

Snow didn’t stop until she’d drained the entire cup. She only wished it were something stronger than coffee.

Then, summoning as much of her courage as she could muster, she told him the tale.

“I didn’t know Daniel’s true fate until the day she gave me that apple,” she concluded. “Until then, I’d never had any reason to doubt the story she’d told me. I’d never understood her sudden hatred of me, and I realized it had been there long before I ever knew, back when I thought we were all happy.”

James had moved a stool around so he could sit across from her. He was quiet for a long while, trying to imagine the horrible loss Regina must have felt. He thought of his mother, but knew that couldn’t compare; he’d at least had the comfort of knowing his mother was alive.

“I wish, more than anything else, that I’d never told Cora. Regina warned me about her, but Cora tricked me. She played on the loss of my own mother; I could never have wished that on Regina. I’d only known her a short time, but I already loved her so much. She’d been so kind to me.” Snow’s eyes glinted with tears, “Oh, James, you should have seen her back then. She was such a different person. Happy, laughing, kind – always quick with a smile or words of comfort and encouragement.” She looked down and something broke inside her. She tried not to wake anyone up, a difficult task now that she was sobbing. “ _I_ took that away from her. I broke the promise I’d made.”

“You couldn’t have known.” James tried to comfort her but she shook her head.

“Regina _told_ me, but I didn’t listen.”

“Did you ever explain to her why you told Cora?”

“I never had the chance.”

James looked thoughtful. “A lot has changed. She might be willing to sit down and talk. You might be able to fix things with her.”

“Too much time has passed,” Snow said sadly. “We’ve been poisoned against one another.”

Studying her, James could see straight through the bluff. “You were, but now it’s different.” She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. He’d always been able to read her like a book. “Seeing her with Henry has reminded you of what you once had with her. She was your mother for a while, too, and you still love her.”

He had hit the nail on the head, and it nearly made her double over. She hadn’t allowed herself to admit it. In fact, she’d actively avoided it. All of the things she’d done, everything she’d said, had come from anger, yes, but they stemmed from hurt. Back in the Enchanted Forest, it had been easy to want the Queen dead. Snow been distanced from everything, having been on the run for so long. Growing tired of fear and desperation, she’d turned to the only emotions she had left; hatred and anger.

Now, she’d been up close again; reminded of how Regina could be. She missed her best friend, her stepmother – the person she had been sure was gone forever.

Realizing that she not only wanted Regina’s forgiveness, but also her love, was enough to give Snow a headache.

“It’s never too late,” James told her softly.

It would be easier to hate Regina. If she did, she wouldn’t have to feel the pain that would come from the inevitable rejection of her apology. Now that she was aware of her own feelings, she knew she would have to try; she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t. The thought made Snow tired, and even though she’d just slept through the night, she found it hard to keep her eyes open.

She wordlessly abandoned the empty mug and headed for her bed. She avoided James’ eyes, resenting him for his insight and the consequences that followed. Despite the coffee she’d just consumed, it didn’t take her long to fall back asleep – the only escape she had.


	29. Chapter 29

Emma came down the stairs with Annie close behind. They reached the bottom just as Henry and Regina were getting up.

Henry stretched while Regina tried her best to smooth the wrinkles out of her suit.

“I’m going to have to stop by the house later to pick up some fresh clothes,” she said to no one in particular.

James picked up on the hidden request. It still wasn’t safe for her to go anywhere alone. “I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind.” he said. “There are a few things I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Of course.” Regina nodded.

“Speaking of wanting to talk,” Emma started, and everyone knew from her tone that this wasn’t going to be pleasant, “I need to have a few words with you, Regina.”

“Should we take this outside?” Regina had an eyebrow raised.

“I think it would be wise,” Emma said sharply.

Henry looked up from where he’d been pouring his cereal. He glanced worriedly between his moms before settling on Emma.

“What are you gonna do?”

“Don’t worry, Henry,” Emma said. She didn’t tell him what not to worry about, and she still had a hard edge to her voice, but there was enough softness mixed in that he knew Regina would not be put into any danger.

“Let’s go,” Emma directed at Regina.

Regina followed her wordlessly out of the apartment, pulling the door shut behind her. She was surprised when Emma didn’t stop. “Ms. Swan?”

“Not far enough,” was Emma’s short reply.

It wasn’t until the outside door shut that Emma turned.

Regina didn’t even see the punch coming. She barely managed to keep herself from falling. She stood up slowly, trying to clear her vision.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Regina screeched. She put her fingers gingerly on her cheekbone and opened and closed her mouth a few times to make sure everything still worked.

“Anything broken?” Emma asked.

“No,” Regina said irritably.

“Good.” Again without warning, Emma reached forward and shoved Regina against the wall. “You killed Graham!” Emma screamed. “You fucking _killed_ him, Regina!”

Regina, who’d been poised to return the assault, froze.

“How could you?! Why?” Emma was angry and was just as surprised as Regina to find herself crying suddenly. She hadn’t wanted to cry in front of Regina, but it was too late to hold it in. “He was fine. He was kissing me and he was fine, and then he died! Right there in front of me! He collapsed and there was nothing I could do; he was already dead! I thought it was an accident, but it was you! You killed him!”

Having lived in Storybrooke for twenty-eight years had had somewhat of a calming effect on Regina. She hadn’t had to think about all of the things she’d done. Graham had been a horrible mistake. Having everyone remember who they were meant facing up to who _she_ was. Things had become complicated with everyone, especially Annie.  Seeing Graham had been terrible, but this; this was so much worse. She’d known that Emma had been with him when it happened; everyone had. But hearing the details brought a picture of it. Only, instead of Emma, it was her, and instead of Graham, it was Daniel. The realization of just how exactly like her mother she’d become hit her like a brick wall. She leaned into the nearest bush and threw up.

Emma stood watching, still waiting for some kind of explanation.

After Regina had cleaned herself up a bit, she looked at her. “I’m sorry. It was a mistake,” she whispered. “I can’t explain it.”

“It was a mistake?! That’s it?! I can’t believe you! You finally convince me that you have a soul when I see how you are with Henry, and then I find out about this. You did it because you were scared your precious curse was going to break and you’d be all alone again.”

The last thing she expected was for Regina to admit in a small voice, “Yes. I was. What I did was reflex and I regretted it immediately.” She paused to take a breath. “I wished I could take it back.” Her expression hardened again and her voice reflected it.  “And now he’s alive. So you can stop worrying, Ms. Swan – this story had a happy ending. You should be grateful; not all of them do.”

Done with the conversation, Regina spun around and went straight into the apartment. Emma followed a moment later. She’d wanted to argue, but something in the way Regina had said those last words made her bite her tongue. She knew discussion about Graham was over; it wouldn’t be coming up again. And she was okay with that. She’d said what she wanted to say, and she supposed she’d gotten her answer.

* * *

Across town, things weren’t going much better for Rumpelstiltskin. He’d managed to appear as if he took joy in the idea of having to bring back the curse. Maybe, just a small part of him was happy about it. These people had not been his friends; he didn’t hate watching them squirm. Mostly, though, he’d relished being the owner of the town and wouldn’t mind that feeling again. The greater part, however, was thinking only of Belle. What would happen to her when the curse was recast? He hated the idea of once again putting the ball in Regina’s court, but it looked like he was going to have very little choice in the matter. He would have to ask for her help; he couldn’t let Belle suffer through that again, even if only for a short a time. They’d just been reunited; he certainly wasn’t about to change that.

“Rumpelstiltskin?” he heard Belle calling him from downstairs. “Breakfast is ready. Are you coming?”

“I’ll be right down,” he yelled back. On his way out, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. He couldn’t say he missed the imp that he’d become. He still felt the power of the Dark One inside him, but in this world, the balance was tipped in his favor. He had control over the Dark One, not the other way around. But he still made deals.

Yes, he was going to have to have a chat with Regina, and it was definitely not going to be enjoyable. Unfortunately, there were a couple of things to be discussed, and he couldn’t put them off.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and Belle leaned her head around the corner, smiling brightly. “There you are! I was afraid I was going to have to go up there and get you myself.”

“Didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” He smiled lightly. “Breakfast smells wonderful.”

They sat across from each other at the table, a comfortable and familiar routine setting in. Belle looked up as she buttered her toast, “What happened yesterday? You came home after I fell asleep, so I never had a chance to ask.”

Rumpelstiltskin stilled his fork for a very brief moment, not long enough for Belle to notice anything had bothered him. “Nothing interesting. Just town meetings.”

Belle sighed. “I wish I could go. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen anyone.” She looked up quickly, realizing how it had sounded. “I don’t mean that I don’t love your company, it’s just—”

“Don’t fret, dearie, I understand what you meant. You won’t be cooped up in here for very much longer, I promise.” Rumpelstiltskin continued to eat in silence. Guilt weighed heavily on him. He’d wanted to start fresh with her, be honest, and tell her everything. Just as always, however, things were not going according to plan. Telling her what was coming seemed cruel, and he wasn’t sure she was ready to handle it. It wasn’t as if he had lied; his promise was real. If the curse was cast, he would see to it that she was free to roam the town. If it wasn’t – well – there would be nothing left to be cooped up in. And so, he kept silent, and thought about the best way to approach Regina.

* * *

James, Henry and Annie all looked up from their cereal when the front door opened. Regina came in first, looking very upset. As she drew closer, James stood, frowning. “Regina, you’re bleeding.”

There was a bruise forming under a small cut on the side of her cheek. He recognized it immediately for what it was.

Apparently, so did Henry, because as Emma came through the door, he pushed back his chair angrily. “What did you do to her?!”

Emma stayed silent, cradling her hand just a bit, but Regina spoke up. “It’s nothing, Henry.”

Everyone – Emma included – was surprised to hear the dismissal in her tone. She hadn’t spoken like that to him since before the curse had broken.

“But,” he stammered. “You’re bleeding. She hit you!”

“Henry, I said it doesn’t matter!” Regina sounded angry, and Henry took a small step backward. She passed him on her way to the bathroom, not giving him another glance.

Once the door was shut, Henry turned to Emma. “Why did you do that? She was getting better, and you just made everything worse!”

Emma bent down, shaking her head, her voice cracking with emotion. “Henry, I know everything seems black and white, good and bad, but sometimes there are things in between; they’re really, really confusing, but we have to find a way to deal with them. I’m sorry I can’t explain better than that, but you’re just gonna have to talk to your mom about it sometime. Not today, though, okay? Give her some time.”

Henry finally nodded, but he was still angry. He stomped off to sit as far away as he could get. Annie, having watched wordlessly, followed.

Regina appeared a moment later, face freshly washed, with a tiny bandage over her cut. “I’m ready,” she told James.

He nodded, and led the way out of the apartment. It seemed like a good idea to keep everyone apart for the time being.


	30. Chapter 30

“You okay?” James asked, studying the cut on Regina’s cheek as they headed toward the car.

“Fine,” she replied darkly. “I deserved far worse.”

“Wanna tell me what happened?”

“Not really; but I suppose you’ll find out anyway, so I might as well tell you.” She sighed deeply, eyes falling to the ground. “I killed Graham.”

He stopped walking and stared at her.

The silence unnerved her. At least with Emma, she’d known what to expect. “Well?” she asked, unable to bear it any longer. “Aren’t you going to scream at me, or hit me? Please. Do _something_.”

“How did Emma find out?”

Regina was surprised that, of all the questions he could ask, this was the one he’d chosen.

“Graham told her.”

James looked understandably confused, so she clarified for him. “Something in the curse prevented him from dying. He was taken to our world, asleep, until I went and woke him up.”

“Did you know that he wouldn’t really die when you killed him?”

Another unexpected question. She wanted to lie, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “No.”

The silence was back, but he’d started walking again. “What are you doing?” Regina asked, catching up to him. “Why aren’t you reacting? I killed him!” Her voice cracked, but she managed to keep her tears from falling. She hated that James was being so unresponsive.

He opened the driver side door, but turned to her before climbing in. “Get in.”

She stopped on the sidewalk, and then finally crawled into the passenger’s seat. She buckled her seatbelt, but he didn’t start the car.

She thought he was giving her the silent treatment, using it as some sort of intimidation tactic before he laid into her. A moment later, however, it appeared he’d just been using the time to think and process everything she’d said.

“Why did you wake him up?” he asked simply.

“Because I…” but she stopped. She was going to say she had to, but that wasn’t true. At no point had it been a part of any sort of plan. Maleficent hadn’t told her to wake him; she’d told her only that he was still alive and where to find him. She hadn’t stopped to think about it; not until now at least. “I don’t know.”

“I think you do,” he said quietly. He paused, thinking about how to phrase his next comment. “You did a horrible thing; the worst! But you used to do things like that much more often. A scary situation makes people do things they’re used to doing, without even thinking about it – even if it’s something they don’t want to do. People change. When they’re lucky, they get a chance to fix some of their mistakes. Good people take those chances.”

Regina stared through the windshield, unseeing, lost in the unexpected words and their implications, while James started the car and pointed it in the direction of what was left of the mayoral mansion.

* * *

Emma was rinsing her hand off in the kitchen sink when Snow came out.

“Emma!” she cried, noticing the angry red color of her daughter’s knuckles. “What did you do to your hand?”

At Emma’s request, Annie had taken Henry to Granny’s for breakfast (as he’d never finished his cereal) so they could talk freely. “I punched Regina.”

Snow put a hand to her mouth in shock. “You didn’t!”

Emma nodded, a grim, tight-lipped expression on her face. “I did. She _definitely_ deserved it.” Snow opened her mouth to ask why, but Emma put her hand up. “I don’t. Really. Want to talk about it,” she said in a clipped tone. “I’m still dealing with it, and that’s just about all I can handle right now.”

“Okay.”  Snow didn’t want to push it.

Seconds ticked by awkwardly until Emma spoke again. “I didn’t mean you had to stop talking altogether. Just change the subject.” There was a playful tone to the next words, “Please, I’m begging you!”

Snow relaxed and smiled. “Henry told me last night that you guys found out who Dr. Whale is, but I never did get to hear. So… who is he?”

She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms, ready for gossip. Since the curse had broken, she’d missed the friendship that she and her daughter had shared.

“Get this; he’s Sleeping Beauty’s prince!”

“No!”

“Yes!” Emma grinned.

“What was the prince’s name anyway?” Snow asked, tone and expression turning thoughtful as she recalled both the story and the movie.

Emma frowned. “Phillip, I think.”

“Huh,” Snow shook her head. “How could he be a prince? He’s so…” she made a face.

“I know,” Emma said rolling her eyes, “but it actually kinda makes sense.”

“How?”

“Well, the whole womanizing thing – it’s like the curse’s perversion of him looking for his princess. Then there’s the fact that he’s supposed to wake Sleeping Beauty with a kiss: he kissed Aurora to cure her of the curse, and in this world, he’s a doctor.”

“That actually makes sense,” Snow said, nodding and squinting her eyes.

“Yep.” Emma turned, and leaned comfortably back against the counter, bracing her arms against it and closing her eyes. “This is nice. Let’s just stay locked up in the apartment and forget about everything going on outside.”

“I’m okay with that.” Snow suddenly grinned. “Let’s try to guess who everyone is.”

Emma laughed. “You sound like Henry!”

“I bet you can’t name more than ten people,” Snow said in a friendly taunt.

Emma cocked an eyebrow, not saying anything.

“I’ll tell you what.” Snow smiled deviously, pulling a six-pack out of the fridge. “Every time you guess correctly, I’ll take a drink; every time you’re _wrong_ , you take one.”

“Now _that_ ,” Emma said, grabbing a beer, “is my kind of game.”

* * *

Henry and Annie sat in a booth, across from each other, both looking sullen.

“Hey, Annie?” Henry asked, sitting up a bit. “What happened while you and my mom were gone?”

Trying to think of a way to appease his curiosity without revealing too much, Annie summed it up. “We went to a man who gave me my memories back.”

“So you remember your whole life now?”

“Yes.” Annie couldn’t keep all of the sadness out of her voice.

“What’s the matter?”

“Sometimes, it’s better that things are forgotten.”

“Was all of it bad?” Henry asked, leaning forward a little, his elbows on the table.

Annie thought about Regina, and the sense of family that she once again possessed, and smiled. “No, Henry, not all of it.”

“Well?” he had an impatient expression that made Annie chuckle a little. “What is it?”

“I can’t tell you. Not yet.”

“What about your powers?” Henry asked eagerly. “Maleficent said you had special abilities.”

“Yes,” Annie said. “I do, but I’m not even sure what they all are yet. I’m still learning.” She saw Red coming out with the tray of food so she hurried on. “You can’t say anything to anyone.”

“I won’t.” he promised, looking a little disappointed.

“How about sometime I show you, though?” Annie added, to which Henry lit up with a smile.

“That would be awesome!”

Annie hadn’t realized how hungry she was until Red set the full plate of food in front of her. Smiling herself, she wasted no time in picking up a fork.

* * *

Snow had her forearms flat against the table, leaning toward Emma conspiratorially, both women giggling, as James, Regina, Annie and Henry walked through the door – James had seen the younger pair walking along the street on the way home, and stopped to pick them up.

There were six empty bottles of beer on the table that had been joined by a few shot glasses and a partially empty bottle of tequila. They only glanced up at the group as they arrived before turning back to each other.

“No way!” Emma was saying. “As in,” and she added a bit of an accent to the next part, “I will grant you three wishes.” They both laughed hard; obviously drunk and finding things a bit more amusing than normal.

“It’s true,” Snow said seriously, when she could breathe again. “Ask Regina, she knows.”

At that, for whatever reason, they both burst into a fit of giggles again. Emma snorted, and they laughed even harder.

“Hey, Henry, let’s go outside for a while,” Annie said quickly, steering him back out the door before he could respond.

James closed the door and looked on with very little amusement.

“So serious!” Emma remarked.

Regina set her bag on the floor. “Yes, well you two just enjoy yourselves. I told James I’ve decided to go through with the curse. How’s that for funny?” Her voice was filled with wrath, and it had an immediate sobering effect on the two women.

“When?” Snow asked quietly.

“We’ll talk to everyone tonight, like we planned,” James told her. “After that, we’ll just have to wait and see.”


	31. Chapter 31

The rest of the morning was uncomfortable for everyone. Henry was still upset about everything and was avoiding all of them, except for Annie. Annie didn’t mind; she enjoyed the distraction.

Emma and Snow had ashamedly put away all of the empty bottles and started in on a large breakfast with a side of coffee. Their moods had sobered now they were working on the rest.

James sat on the couch, observing everyone, which is how he noticed when Regina pulled out her phone and frowned at it. By the way she was clicking buttons, James knew she must have gotten a text. She paced back and forth a few times, and then sat on a chair, never taking her eyes off the screen.

“Something the matter?” James asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him.

“Yes,” she said, looking up at him. Not wanting to explain it out loud for everyone to hear, she passed her phone over.

**You and I both know, the curse is the only option. We need to talk. My shop – come immediately and come alone.**

“That doesn’t sound good,” James commented.

“No, it doesn’t. I think I know what he wants, though. Unfortunately, I do also need to talk to him. He knows more about the curse than anyone else; he’s the original creator.”

James nodded. “But I don’t think you should go alone. It’s not safe.”

“I agree. Are you volunteering?”

“I’ve got to be useful somehow.” He stood up. “Let me get my coat and tell everyone we’re stepping out.”

“James.” He paused his movement. “Thank you.”

He flashed her a smile. “No problem.”

* * *

Once they were on their way to Gold’s, James decided to broach the subject he’d wanted to discuss before the chaos of the morning.

“I talked to Snow about what happened between the two of you.”

“Oh.” Regina hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. She tried not to squirm under James’ gaze. He knew something about her now that few had ever known – in fact, she could count them on one hand. It was extremely personal, and she wondered if maybe this had something to do with the way James had been acting. Of course, she had no idea how much Snow had actually told her husband.

“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I can’t imagine…”

That answered that question. He, apparently, had heard the whole story. She tried to snap at him that she didn’t need his sympathy, but she couldn’t get it past the lump in her throat.

“That couldn’t have been everything, though. Not to curse an entire world. I don’t buy it; there had to be more.”

She glared at him, but he didn’t back down; he wasn’t afraid of her anymore. That annoyed her as well, but there was a softness in his eyes as he glanced between her and the road that made her swallow it back. This wasn’t pity, it was a genuine want to understand. It was something she hadn’t had in a long, long time: friendship. She couldn’t understand what was happening. At every turn, something worse was revealed about her, and yet, he seemed to accept all of it. Moreover, she felt she could trust him; a very rare feeling indeed.

For the first time, Regina found herself wanting to tell someone her story. “There was more,” she said finally. “I didn’t hate her so much in the beginning; it happened over time. I couldn’t believe she’d broken her promise so easily; no thought to the consequences. She became a representation of everything I had lost: love, freedom, a chance to start my own family – the King didn’t want any more children. Leopold never loved me; he was still in love with the ghost of his wife. Still, he kept me cooped up in the palace. Although he didn’t love me, he was extremely jealous of any sort of relationship I had with other men, even simple friendship. For that reason, I was cut off from everyone, stowed away as a trophy. Kept on a dusty shelf until he wanted to show off what a beautiful wife he had, and how fortunate he was.” There was poison in her words, and it was not hard to see the Evil Queen in this moment. “Snow was so perfect in his eyes. Allowed to do anything she pleased. He reminded everyone who would listen on a daily basis how exactly like her mother she looked: _‘The fairest in all the land. No one more beautiful. I will never love anyone like I loved your mother or like I love you. No one could ever compare.’_ It was his way of reminding me of my place. I was _lucky_ ,” she spit the word, “to have been asked to be his wife.” She had to take a breath through her anger to continue. “In the course of all of it, I lost a childhood friend – that story is a very long one, and one that I don’t have time to tell.” She gestured to the pawn shop they were approaching. “Thus concludes the brief history of the Evil Queen.” The comment had been meant to sound sarcastic, but it came out sad.

James pulled the car over, parking in front of the shop. “Regina, before I say what I have to say, I want to say thank you for telling me about it. I know how hard it is to live with a person who keeps you simply to show you off, and who only uses you for their benefit.” She lifted and eyebrow in question. “My own long story,” he replied. “But I will tell you, we have more in common than I thought we would. Our stories just have different endings.” He looked down at his lap and then back up. “I don’t want to overstep any bounds, but maybe it would be nice to start fresh. Fix things with people, make amends. There’s more to the story of Snow, too. I think it would be really good for the two of you to sit down and tell your stories to each other properly.”

She opened her mouth to respond angrily, but he cut her off quickly. “Not now, obviously. There’s far too much happening. I know it sounds like a terrible idea, but from an outside perspective, and as someone who cares about both of you –” he stopped, and Regina saw how surprised he looked that he’d said it. He nodded to himself, knowing that’s what he’d meant and quickly continued, “There’s a lot of misunderstanding on both sides, and you need to fix that more than you both realize. Neither of you will ever be able to heal without it. Please, just promise me you’ll think about it.”

Almost against her will, Regina found herself nodding. “Alright. I will.”

He moved the car forward, parking in front of the shop and she opened the door. “Stay here,” she told him. “I’ll try not to take too long.” 


	32. Chapter 32

The bell jingled as Regina entered the shop, and Rumpelstiltskin looked up from his place behind the counter. The shop’s sign was already flipped to the closed side – as it had been since the curse was broken.

“Your Majesty,” he greeted. “Thank you for meeting me so quickly, though I seem to recall asking you to come alone.” He looked pointedly at the car parked out front.

“James and I both thought it best he accompanied me.”

“James, hmm?” He peered out the window curiously. “You’re keeping different company these days.”

Regina’s expression grew annoyed. “Is there something you wanted to talk me about, or should I go?”

Rumpelstiltskin laid his hands on the counter and moved them as if he was smoothing out a wrinkle, though there was only glass.

Regina realized he was actually nervous. “Spit it out, Rumpelstiltskin.”

“Our original plan to stop your mother didn’t work, but I was the one who suggested the curse.”

“Yes,” she said impatiently. “If you’re worried that I won’t keep my end of the deal, you can relax. You’re still helping me with this problem, and I intend to help you with yours.”

He relaxed, but not fully. Noticing this, Regina arched an eyebrow. “There’s more?”

“There is another person I would like to be reunited with, once the curse is in place.”

Regina nodded. “Belle.”

Rumpelstiltskin lifted his head in shock. He had never expected her to admit it so freely. Normally there was dancing around meanings, denial, bargains, but never this. _Especially_ since he was not supposed to know of her existence. That thought disturbed him a little. How _had_ she known that he’d found out about Belle? Surely Emma would not have told her. She and Regina were enemies.

“You think I don’t know everything that goes on in my town?” Regina said, pulling his attention back. She thought it funny that a few days ago, she’d been worried about him finding out that she knew. Now the balance of power had shifted, and she was once again holding all of the cards. She sighed. “I grow tired of these games. You can be with Belle again, _if_ ,” and she raised a finger pointedly, “you keep yourself out of things having to do with me and my son. It’s that simple.”

He narrowed his eyes in mistrust. “I want to be more specific. Belle will join _me_ here in town where we will both enjoy our freedom. We won’t be locked up in the basement of the hospital.”

“You have my word,” Regina said. It was her turn to be worried. “Now that that’s finished, tell me about the curse. What will need to be done?”

Rumpelstiltskin turned around and pulled the egg that Emma had retrieved down off the shelf. When he opened it, Regina could see the empty space that had once housed the magic. He pulled the cushion out, only to reveal another cushion holding another vial.

“This,” he pulled it out and held it carefully out in front of her, “will need to be dumped into the well.”

Regina gently wrapped her fingers around the vial and pulled it free of his grasp. “You bottled the curse?” she tried to think back to a time when he could have managed it without her noticing, but nothing came to mind.

“Yes, well, you never know what might come in handy when you’re being sent to a world without magic.”

Looking at the vial, Regina twisted it slowly in her fingers, and then held it still again. “What will happen?”

“The curse will settle once again over the town of Storybrooke.” He said it with a flourish of his hands.

“I know that.” She was irritated by his flippancy. “I mean, will it be the same as before? What about the people who knew about the curse? Will they lose their memories as well?”

Rumpelstiltskin knew the deeper meaning of her question. Would _Henry_ remember? She most likely was not thinking about the fact that he was facing the same worry. Would he _himself_ remember? So he answered her with a seriousness that he often lacked when speaking with her. “I don’t know. Nothing like this has ever been done before.”

She recognized the sincerity of his words, and not having any other questions, she moved to leave. Stopping with her hand on the door handle, she turned her head to look at him. “Are you going to the meeting tonight?”

“Facing an angry town that hates me? I think not. Good luck with that, by the way.” The smirk returned to his face, and he disappeared through the small doorway at the back.

* * *

James had flipped through several radio stations, counted cracks in the sidewalk, and memorized the license plates of the few other cars on the street, when Regina’s figure finally appeared in the door of the shop. He watched her stop, turn, and say something. After a moment, she exited, wearing a very unpleasant expression.

She pulled open the door and slid in, buckling her seatbelt.

“Did you get what you needed?”

“That depends on what you’re talking about. I did get this, though.” She held the vial out for him to see and he stared at it.

“Is that the curse?”

“Yes.” She tucked it carefully into her pocket.

“What else did he want?”

“Just a simple deal; nothing of consequence.” She stared out the window. “Can we go?”

James knew that deals with Rumpelstiltskin were never without consequence, but felt that Regina had shared enough with him for one day; more than he had ever expected from her. He started the car and left her to watch the town pass by out the window as he drove them back to the apartment.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of this story, but I'll start posting the sequel in the next few days.

The town hall went silent as the Evil Queen made her first public appearance since that fateful day in the hospital. Having fresh clothes, newly applied makeup, and perfectly styled hair, she looked every bit the intimidating mayor she’d been for the last twenty-eight years. She carried herself with the same confidence and authority that she’d always had. Emma stood slightly behind on one side, with James and Snow on the other. They’d had Annie stay home with Henry. He’d been told that tonight would be boring for him, not something he’d want to attend. They thought it best not to tell him the real reason was that it wouldn’t be right to make him watch the entire town hate his mother. There was a difference between knowing it and seeing it in action.

As the group of four made their way down the aisle, seated people averted their eyes, bowing their heads slightly. It was an old habit from their world; when the Evil Queen passed through, one did their best not to draw any attention.

Regina strode quickly and with purpose, stopping only when she arrived at the very front of the room. She faced the crowd and took a breath. “I have decided to accept the proposal of recasting the curse.”

People turned to each other and the room echoed with angry voices, worried murmurs and loud whispers. It wasn’t a surprise; no one had expected anything less, but Regina still found the response grating on her nerves.

“I would like to remind all of you,” she continued, voice raised to combat the noise, “that this is the only way to save ourselves.”

The noise continued but Ariel stood, and everyone grew silent as she started to speak. “How do we know that you won’t keep us trapped after you cast the curse?”

“You don’t have much of a choice. If I don’t do this, none of us will be left alive to worry about that.” Regina tucked her hair behind her ear. Her cool and confident exterior was masking her anxiety. She wanted nothing more than to be done with this. If it were up to her, she wouldn’t have come. However, no one trusted her, and if she wasn’t there to answer their questions it was likely that no one would let her actually go through with it, regardless of the consequences.

“I have a question.” It was Dr. Whale, Aurora at his side. “What will happen to all of us? Will the curse be the same as it was before, or will you allow us to be with our families?”

Regina didn’t answer immediately. Her answer, she knew, would not be a popular one. “The way that the curse has been bottled, I cannot make any changes. To do so would require magic, and we all know what that would do. I face the same question and wish that I had the answer. The truth is, I have no idea what will happen this time.”

“How will you cast it?” Jiminy asked. Regina was silently grateful that his question was more curious than angry – a welcome change from the rest of the evening.

“When the time comes, I’ll take the vial containing the curse and dump it into the old wishing well. It contains the water from Lake Nostos. I imagine it will be spread through town the same way magic was. There will only be a short period between when I enact it and when it takes effect.” _‘I hope,’_ she added silently to herself. The last thing she wanted was to spend time in a town with people who were waiting for her dark curse to take effect.

“When is ‘the time _’_?” Everyone turned to see Abigail – formerly Kathryn Nolan – standing at the back of the room. Regina hoped her swallow wasn’t as audible as it sounded to her. “Who decides when to again end our existence as ourselves? You? And will you give us warning, or will you simply take it on a whim and sit back to enjoy watching us squirm?”

Regina knew she deserved it, but it still hurt. “I will wait as long as possible,” she told everyone. “I don’t want to use it until I absolutely have to. We will have defenses in place, and when there is an indication that Cora is coming, it will be ‘the time’ – as you put it.” She couldn’t help the bitterness in her last words.

Snow stepped forward, seeing that this type of tension was only going to escalate and nothing good could come from it. “Why don’t we all take a short break? We can discuss our concerns more fully when we return. Everyone take five minutes to stretch, talk, grab a snack.” She pointed to the back. “There are a few refreshments set out for everyone.”

The sounds of chairs scraping backwards filled the air and people began to stand, talking to each other and heading toward the back of the room. Jiminy made his way to the front to join in as Snow was turning to Regina.

“It was important for you to make an appearance, but it would probably be best if you went back to the apartment now.”

“What an astute observation, dear,” Regina said sarcastically, though she was glad someone else had pointed it out first.

“I can take her,” Emma said. She was itching for an excuse to go home. For one, town meetings really weren’t her thing. Previous experience had proven that point time and time again. Even more of an incentive was the sight of both Graham and August milling around. That was _not_ an encounter she was looking forward to.

“No,” Snow shook her head, not noticing how antsy her daughter had become (though Regina was watching Emma’s odd behavior with amusement). She was distracted by the number of people in the room. “It would be better if you stayed with us. People are on edge tonight, and I think some people still view you as town sheriff. Your presence brings a sort of order.”

Emma deflated. “Fine.”

“I might mention,” Regina said with no small amount of irritation, “that it’s for a similar reason that I can no longer travel unaccompanied.”

“I’ll take you,” Jiminy stepped in. “I was hoping to get home anyway. I can drop you off on my way.”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Snow said distractedly, now watching a small argument that was beginning off to one side of the room. “Emma?” she started off in that direction without another word.

Sighing, Emma followed. “Great.”

“I would appreciate that Dr…Jiminy,” Regina said, still uncomfortable with being dependent on others.

“It’s no problem, really.” He smiled. “Shall we?”

She nodded and they left, unnoticed, through a side door.

* * *

The drive to the apartment was silent. It was made awkward by the fact that Jiminy kept glancing at her as if he wanted to say something. She pretended not to notice. She wasn’t really in the mood for conversation.

They finally arrived and she stepped out of the car. “Thank you, Dr. Hopper,” she said out of habit. Not bothering to correct herself, she shut the door and made her way up the stairs.

When she opened the door, Henry and Annie were sitting at the table having cereal for dinner. Henry looked up with an expression not unlike that of a deer in the headlights. They obviously hadn’t expected her home until later.

Without saying anything, she went to the cupboard, pulled down a bowl, and poured herself some cereal.

Both of them stared at her as she joined them at the table. “You’re right,” she said. “It’s a cereal kind of night.”

“Where’s everyone else?” Henry asked cautiously. He remembered her mood this morning and he didn’t want to make her angry again. The bruise and small cut were still visible, but only to someone who knew what they were looking for. She’d covered them expertly with makeup.

“They’re still at the meeting. There were a few things that needed to be smoothed over.” She thought back to the scene at the town hall. Those people had every right to be upset, she knew, but she thought they were all acting like children. This was the only way things could be done, and no amount of whining or complaining was going to change it.

Henry was watching his mother’s expression. Added to the hair, the outfit and the makeup, she didn’t look any different from the woman who’d been so controlling and intimidating the last few months. As a result, he seemed withdrawn all throughout dinner. He took his bowl to the sink to rinse it without being asked. “I’m gonna go upstairs and put on my pajamas,” he said, his head dipped down. He was avoiding eye contact.

Regina noticed his change of attitude and watched him go, saddened by his renewed distance. Once he’d disappeared up the stairs, Regina turned her attention to Annie. She covered the hand on the table with her own and gave it a light squeeze. “How’re _you_ doing?”

Annie gave her a small smile. “Okay, I guess. Being back here makes everything so confusing. I remember everything about my real past, but being here in Storybrooke, seeing you dressed like that, I can’t help feeling…I guess I…” She started fumbling for words so Regina helped her out.

“You’re still afraid of me.”

“Yeah, kind of. I still remember running from you in the forest, and being locked in the cell.” She tried not to remain on that thought; it brought back the feelings of terror. “But I really did enjoy working for you here when you were Mayor.” She noticed the pained expression on Regina’s face.

“Annie, I—”

“No.” Annie cut her off. “Don’t worry about it. If I still felt that fear, I wouldn’t be telling you all of this. It’s just, like I said, it’s so confusing. I have to remind myself which of my lives is reality.” She paused. “I really did look up to you here, though. Just like I told you when I came to you after the curse broke – you gave me my freedom and you didn’t even know who I really was.”

Regina flinched, thinking back to the things she’d said that day, the threats she’d made.

“Annie, I’m so sorry.” Her eyes filled with tears.

“It’s okay – you were scared. Everyone was scared. But I’ve been wondering – how _did_ I end up with you when the curse was cast? I mean, you didn’t know who I was, but you created the details of the curse, didn’t you?”

“I did.” Regina nodded. “But I didn’t do all of them. Whatever I didn’t design, the curse created itself. I suppose it sensed a connection between us, even though we didn’t know one existed.”

Annie smiled. “I’m glad.”

“Me, too.” Regina gave Annie’s hand one last pat, then stood up. “I’m going to go get ready for bed. It’s been a long day.”

“Hey, before everyone goes to sleep, could you talk to Henry? He was pretty quiet tonight but he told me he’s worried you’re slipping back into your old ways. He’s afraid of what’s going to happen when the curse is cast. He’d never say that to you, but I thought you should know.”

She gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I’ll talk to him.”

* * *

Regina considered her options as she went through her nightly routine. She and Henry had done so much talking lately. How much could she tell him? She didn’t want to scare him, but she didn’t have any good answers for him, either.

Silk pajamas on and teeth brushed, she washed all the makeup off her face. She watched herself in the mirror for a moment. It was amazing what a difference the makeup made. She seemed commanding and harsh with it on – without it, she could see a bit of her younger self. Lacking the bright innocence, but still kinder, softer.

When she was finished, she sat on the air mattress and watched Henry make his way down the stairs to brush his teeth before bed. Annie settled herself cross-legged on the couch close to Regina, a book open in her lap.

As Henry exited the bathroom, he started for the stairs, but Regina called out to him. “Hey, Henry. Wait a minute. I want to talk to you.”

He walked over, keeping a bit of distance between them.

“I’m sorry I snapped earlier. I was upset with myself, not you.”

He nodded, the sullen expression not leaving his face.

“Come closer,” Regina encouraged. “Come on, it’s okay.”

He moved closer.

“Henry, I’m not going to bite.” He finally moved to her side. “I am however,” she said seriously, “going to tickle you!” Before Henry could process the words, she’d reached out and pulled him down on top of her. He screeched in surprise and then succumbed to laughter as he wriggled in her arms.

“Not fair,” he squeaked out between laughs. “Mom!” He tried to tickle her back and she laughed and screamed as he got her.

“It’s a fight to the death!” she declared, redoubling her efforts.

“Annie, help!” Henry laughed out, looking in her direction.

Annie chuckled. “Sorry, kid, you’re on your own.”

* * *

Emma, Snow and James were halfway up the stairs when they heard the yelling. They rushed to the top and pushed open the door, only to find Henry and Regina rolling around on the air mattress, tickling each other and laughing hysterically.

“I surrender,” Regina finally managed to gasp. “You win.” She raised her arms in defeat and collapsed back onto the mattress, trying to catch her breath.

Henry flopped down beside her. He lifted his hands in the air above him in fists. “ I am King of the tickle-fights,” he declared.

Regina laughed. “You certainly are.” She lifted herself up and stood, reaching her hands out for Henry. “Alright, bedtime.”

Henry grasped her hands, pulling himself up. “Awww. Can’t I sleep down here with you again?”

“Of course you can,” Regina’s smile was full of warmth. “Just go upstairs for a few minutes. I need to talk to everyone.” She ruffled his hair.

“I never get to listen. Nobody would even know who they were if it wasn’t for me.” Even while he was saying it, he was walking up the stairs.

Annie remained on the couch, listening in, curious to hear about the night’s events.

“What happened after I left?” Regina asked, seeing how tired the three looked.

“People are stupid,” Emma said simply.

Regina fought back the laugh that nearly escaped. She couldn’t agree more.

Snow, however, did not look amused. She shot Emma a sideways glare, then gave a more detailed answer. “A few fights broke out that we had to get under control, but things went pretty smoothly, all things considered.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say,” Emma broke in. “People listen to you; you’re their Queen or whatever. I’m just the town sheriff – an authority not recognized by the people of Disneyland.” Everyone gave her an annoyed look, but it bounced right off of her. “Listen, Regina, I’ve been fielding questions all night long, and while most of them had ‘no, duh’ answers, or were just plain pointless, some of them have me kind of curious.”

“Such as?” Regina asked impatiently. Nothing irritated her more quickly than Emma’s personal take on the English language.

“What happens to the people who weren’t cursed before? August and I came through before the curse was cast and Henry was born here.”

“Ms. Swan, I have no idea what is going to happen. I don’t even know how the curse will affect _me_.” She paused, waiting for Emma to continue. “Was there something else?”

“Yeah. How will the curse be broken this time?”

“That’s true,” Snow said. “There’s no prophecy like there was last time.”

“I’m not sure exactly how that will work, but I’m sure that we’ll come up with something. There is a way out of every curse.” No one missed the slight resentment in her tone.

“That’s another thing,” James added. “How long will the curse last before you break it?”

Regina was silent. It wasn’t actually something she’d thought of. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “How long will it take for us to know that we’re safe, that breaking the curse again won’t return magic?”

“It didn’t the first time, so you should be able to break it right away,” Snow said warily. The less time she spent under the curse, the happier she’d be.

“Yes, dear, but the first time the curse was broken, we’d been here for twenty-eight years. There was still some magic left, until I used the remainder of it last week. How will I know when there isn’t magic left _this_ time?”

“I guess we’re just going to have to trust you to make that decision for us,” James said.

“Okay,” Emma started to sound a little on edge. “How long are we talkin’ here? Like a few days, weeks… months?”

“Now who’s asking the pointless questions, Ms. Swan?” Regina asked crossly. “I’ve told you already, I have no idea.”

“Yeah, well it’s just starting to sink in. It’s creepy to think that I’m not going to be aware of being under a curse – if that happens.”

Silence fell again. “Was that everything of importance?” Regina was exhausted and ready for a peaceful night’s sleep.

“I guess,” Emma replied, a bit annoyed that her concerns were so easily dismissed.

“Well, then…” She made a move-along gesture that they should all get going. Snow and James headed for their room while Emma was halfway to the stairs. “Ms. Swan, would you please send Henry down?”

“Sure, okay.”

Annie stood from her place on the couch and stretched. “Goodnight, Regina.”

“Are you okay sleeping upstairs again?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Alright.” She opened her arms and Annie quickly stepped into them. “Goodnight, Annie.”

They pulled apart just as Henry made his appearance. He passed Annie on his way and smiled at her. “Goodnight.”

“Sleep well, Henry.”

No one had trouble falling asleep that night.

* * *

Everyone was up early the next morning, dressed and having a quiet breakfast. Quiet until Annie dropped her spoon and gasped. They all looked at her and were worried to see the state she was in; bent forward slightly, eyes distant, shock written plainly on her face.

“Annie, what’s wrong?” Regina asked anxiously.

It was a moment before Annie found her voice, but she looked up, shaking her head, terror creeping up. “Cora,” she whispered.

Snow and Regina rose to their feet swiftly. “She’s coming?” The question was Regina’s.

Annie nodded.

“How do you know?” Snow didn’t want to believe it. How could it be time already? They’d just finished discussing it – they were supposed to have had more time.

“I don’t know, I can just feel it,” Annie couldn’t explain the sudden change she’d felt, as if something were off-balance. It was a cold sensation, terrifying, and somehow she knew it meant Cora had found her way through. Annie looked at Regina. “She’s coming right now! We don’t have very much time!”

The calm morning was shattered as everyone sprang into action. They all ran to grab coats, Snow shouting directions at everyone. “Emma, you take Henry to Granny’s. Tell everyone you meet on the way that it’s time. They should tell as many people as they can. Everyone can meet at Granny’s. We’ll all be together when it happens. Annie, you should go with Emma and Henry.”

“I want to go with Regina,” Annie said in defiance.

“Annie, it would be better for you to go with them.” Regina told her, but the words hurt. She wanted Annie with her more than anything else, but she had no idea what was going to happen. “I want you with Henry, anyway. Please?”

Annie nodded dejectedly.

“Mom,” Henry stopped Emma from pulling him out the door. “Are you coming to Granny’s when you’re done?”

“Honey, I don’t know if I’ll have enough time.”

“You have to try! _Please_?!” He wiped at the tears in his eyes, voice full of desperation.

“I will. I’ll try my hardest.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” He ran to her, hugging her so tightly, she couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t care. She hugged him back, until Emma’s voice reminded her of the need for urgency.

“Henry, I’m sorry, but we have to go. Come on.” She stretched her hand out and they disappeared through the door.

* * *

A large section of town was standing outside of Granny’s half an hour later. There was a tense silence. No one really knew what to say to each other, and they were all waiting for some kind of sign that the curse had arrived.

The sheriff’s car rolled to a stop as close to the diner as the crowd would allow and Regina climbed out, standing on her toes as she looked frantically around for Henry and Annie. People parted for her, mostly in shock at her presence among them.

“Henry? Annie?” she called, moving forward quickly and scanning the crowd.

Henry came barreling out the front door. “Mom! You made it!” As he wrapped his arms around her, she saw Annie running toward them, Emma, Snow and James behind her.

The crowd sucked in a collective breath, and they all turned to see the telling purple clouds swirling toward them.

Annie reached Regina and, uncaring of everyone around them, wrapped an arm around her, standing next to Henry. “I’m _so_ scared,” she cried.

“It’s okay,” Regina said fiercely, trying to convince herself, as well. She moved one of her arms so that it was around Annie.  “No matter what happens, I’m going to take care of you; both of you.”

Families were now clinging to one another;  Jefferson had Grace in his arms, Snow was tucked into James, and August had found his way to Emma’s side. They grasped each other’s hands tightly.

The clouds billowed toward them, picking up with alarming speed.

All of Storybrooke closed their eyes as the curse enveloped them.


End file.
